Gaming Guardian
by Sorre
Summary: Aaron Phantomweiss dies and is dragged into the Pokemon World by Arceus and the celestial dragons for their entertainment. In compensation, Aaron gains the powers of the Gamer, edited to suit the new world in which he finds himself. !Gamer, !Eventual OP, !Semi-Self Insert, !Reincarnation/Transmigration
1. Chapter 1

**Preface: Hello everyone, this story is about an individual from our world being placed into the pokemon world by Arceus. There is no world-ending threat, or at least not one that Arceus specifically wants him to resolve. There is no great mission or villain, no fantastic reward at the end of the journey. In the end, this journey is exactly what the original character (OC for those new to fanfiction) makes of it.**

 **The OC can be considered a self-insert (SI) in that his life contains elements of my own. For example, I am also an international relations major in the Washington, DC area. That said, he is also someone who acts very much unlike me and possesses some skills that I do not.**

 **This is a story idea that has been on my mind for a while. Some of my favorite stories are humorous takes that imagine an overpowered character in a different universe (e.g. post 4** **th** **War Naruto, Master of Death Harry Potter, etc.) and I figured I'd write the origin story of an overpowered OC.**

 **Pilot: Over the Moon**

Aaron Phantomweiss was a graduate student working for his Master's in International Security at a school in Washington, DC. Years of studying nuclear proliferation, terrorism, and the anarchy of the international community had jaded him somewhat. Nonetheless, he found himself daydreaming of being someone special. Admittedly, for him, "someone special" usually meant someone who could influence US foreign policy directly.

He knew he was plain, utterly normal with drooping, raven-black hair, icy-blue eyes, and a pale complexion that left him sweltering in the DC summer heat. If one looked closely, one might find that his eyes were shaped narrower than his Germanic last name would indicate, his hair much too dark to simply be European. Both were byproducts of his Japanese-American grandmother and Korean mother, traits he cherished about himself, even if he looked a bit awkward.

He was lured from his current musings by the chime of a bell. He stood at attention and put on his most winning smile. "Hello, welcome to Foodie Frank's! You wouldn't happen to be the party of twelve we reserved for tonight, would you?" he asked. Once he received confirmation, he gave a short bow and led them towards a pre-set table. 'Nothing like working as a restaurant host to remind you of where you stand on the social ladder,' he mused to himself as he walked back to the front of the establishment.

That night, he got home at 10 pm, took a shower, and promptly collapsed onto his bed in exhaustion, his midterm on Trump's East Asian policy completely forgotten. That was fine; he had another week to finish the essay. He mumbled a slurred greeting to his roommate before sleep claimed him.

X

" **Do you want to be someone special, Aaron Phantomweiss?"** a voice called in the emptiness.

He shook the sleep from his eyes and tried to focus on the voice. "Huh? What?"

" **Do you want to be someone special, Aaron Phantomweiss?"** the voice repeated. Somehow, it sounded inhuman. The words were English, easy enough to understand, but there was something else, something _greater_. The blackness receded and Aaron found himself sitting on hard stone. The mild discomfort was noted and immediately dismissed in favor of the shock to his system by the sight before him.

" **Do you want to be someone special, Aaron Phantomweiss?"** The pale, horse-like figure repeated. This time, his voice was tinged with annoyance brought on by impatience.

Aaron gawked. He moved his eyes up and down the figure, but he just could not process the message his eyes were sending to his brain. Before him was a pale, equine form with a black face reminiscent of a mask. Green eyes with crimson pupils stared imperiously back at him. Golden rings circled its body and one seemed to loop around its midsection. "Ok, now I know I'm dreaming."

" **You are most certainly not."** Arceus, for it could be no one else, replied. " **You died and therefore cannot dream."**

"Wait what? I died? How? Why?" He began to breathe heavily, or whatever the equivalent of that was for ghosts. Nothing in his limited experience could have prepared him for the mental backhand that startled him out of his mounting panic attack.

" **Enough, Aaron, I will not permit you to act the fool,"** Arceus didn't _say_ as much as _declare_ and it was so.

"Ok, run me through this. I died," a minor tilt of the head he interpreted as a nod, "and the god of my favorite fictional franchise is here to greet me," another tilt, "Why? Why not any gods from any number of religions in my world? Don't tell me Satoshi Tajiri accidentally stumbled upon the one true religion while creating his game. Or maybe his gaming legacy is a front for a cult and I never realized? Or what if he's secretly a prophet? Or –" Aaron was cut off once more by a second psychic slap. He took a deep breath. "Thanks. Now can you please explain what the hell is going on?"

" **The omniverse is diverse and I am one of several primordials, what you might call an Origin, that created his own multiverse. I picked you because…"** Arceus seemed to trail off and three snickers filled the air.

" **Oh, come now, father, just tell the human the truth."** Aaron had to pick his lower jaw off the floor one more time as three dragons circled down from above. One was cobalt-blue, another violet, and the third reminded him of a centipede. " **If you recognize our father, then surely we need no introductions?"** the being he knew as Giratina said, her voice somehow deep yet feminine. Her voice seemed to trail off like the low note of a saxophone, filling the silence with echoes that did not exist.

"First question, are you a boy or a girl?" Aaron blurted out, then immediately shoved his fist into his mouth. The cobalt dragon laughed, his voice filling the void with the booming chorus of an entire drum line.

" **No offense taken, little one,"** Dialga called, " **The depiction of us beings you know as pokemon in your world is something of a running gag to us Elder Gods. We, as concepts made manifest, do not have a binary gender as you humans know it, but Arceus is called the Father so you can presume him to be male. I suppose myself and Palkia would be as well. Originally, neither of us cared much for such arbitrary definitions, but as we were worshipped in Sinnoh as male deities, we simply took on the forms prescribed to us by our priests. Communicating with mortals is simpler if we concede some of their expectations you see."**

" **As for Giratina, she chose to identify as a female just to spite our little family; she always was the rebel,"** Palkia chimed in, his voice rippling through the air like an ocean current.

" **Shut up, brother,"** she sniped. She clicked her tongue in irritation and turned back to Aaron, " **Look, the truth is that we are bored. Yes, immortals get bored, and if I have to stay with those two idiots with nothing to do for another decade, I'm going to go back to the Distortion World and never come out."**

"Just out of curiosity, how did…" he halted, trying to phrase his question without offending a dragon goddess.

" **I… just call it the legacy of a misspent youth. I was exiled for a time. Father sent me away to gain control over my powers. I am the strongest of us three, you know,"** she replied with no small amount of pride.

" **Careful, sister, that sounds like a challenge,"** Dialga said with narrowed eyes.

" **Enough."** Silence filled the void as Arceus intervened before Aaron could watch a battle worth of the legends. Rather than fear, he found himself mildly disappointed. " **The truth is, Aaron, that we have something of a game among us."**

"Wait, so you killed me and dragged my soul across dimensions because you're having family game night?" he shouted indignantly.

" **No, you died on your own. Do you remember arriving home tired and crashing on your bed? Yes, well that extra-dense memory foam pillow you got might be comfortable, but it wasn't very conducive for breathing,"** Palkia informed him in what he hoped was a helpful tone.

"Wait… so I died… because I fell face down into my favorite pillow and my body didn't correct itself in time to keep me from suffocating?" He looked around to four solemn nods, though he could've sworn Giratina's tail was twitching with what he'd bet his soul was laughter. "Fine, I give up. What now? Are you going to call up more souls and have us fight to the death or something?"

" **What, no, of course not,"** four voices said as one.

" **Ahem,"** Arceus cleared his throat, " **We just want you to go on a pokemon journey. We get some amusement and you get to go on the journey of a lifetime. Two lifetimes in your case, but who's counting?"** he chuckled at his own joke.

"No way," Aaron refused. "Thanks for the offer, but that's suicidal. I mean, really? Who would realistically trust ten year old children to care for and train a fire breathing lizard? And charmander is one of the tamer pokemon you can find."

" **I assure you that's as ridiculous as asking for your grandson's gender or somehow traveling through seven regions within the span of a year. Most people in the pokemon world begin training with a partner pokemon as soon as they can manage, but they are not expected to travel at all and becoming a wandering trainer requires a license because my children are sometimes… unfriendly… to say the least. At any rate, the pokemon world is far more realistic than you know."**

"That still doesn't tell me why I should romp around your world. I mean, no offense, but if you're going to give me a new lease on life, I'd like to live for as long as possible."

" **Hmm, he does make a fair point, father,"** Palkia interjected. He then turned to Aaron. " **You're worried about your own physical wellbeing, yes? What if we gave you our blessing?"**

" **Yes, that could work,"** Arceus said, " **Aaron, I am not omnipotent."**

"You called yourself the Origin; doesn't that kind of imply omnipotence?"

" **No, it implies that I am the Creator of** _ **a**_ **multiverse. In other words, I do not have limitless power across the omniverse, only the ones modeled after myself."**

"Fair. Now, what does that have to do with me traipsing across the pokemon world for your amusement?"

" **Not much, but it does have a lot to do with you as a whole,"** Dialga cut in, his teeth coming together in metallic clicks. " **You are your universe's incarnation of Sir Arion of Oldaron."** Seeing the blank look on the human's face, he sighed. " **Perhaps you'd recognize him as Sir Aaron of Cameran Palace?"**

"Oh… Pfffttt hahahahahahaha, that's too funny. You're telling me that I am some legendary hero?"

" **Oh, no, you're completely normal."**

" **Indeed, utterly plain."**

" **The only thing extraordinary about you is the way you died. It was extraordinarily pathetic."**

" **Agreed."**

"You guys aren't exactly making me want to go along with your plan here…"

" **Anyway, let's get back on track. You are an incarnation of Sir Arion, one version of his soul in an omniverse filled with limitless possibilities. You may be average, but your soul does have some connection to the hero of my world. It is with this connection that I drew you here. By manipulating this connection further, I can give you the ability to access aura, the life force of all things, to help you on your way,"** Arceus said.

Aaron stood, dusting his palms and looked around. He had missed the finer details of his surroundings thanks to the rather conspicuous deities, but the carvings on the floor really were amazing. Violet, blue, and red circles covered the stone floor in a triangle formation. It took a moment for the information to settle, but Aaron belatedly realized that he was standing at the center of the Mystri Stage. This information brought all of it crashing down for him, the weight of his new reality turning his normal cynicism into solemn contemplation. "I'll do it," he inwardly sighed at the glint of eager amusement in each of their eyes. "But, you've got to give me a bit more than the potential to use aura. It's one thing to say I'll have as much potential as Sir Arion or Aaron or whatever, but it's another matter for me to achieve it. Arion had to have studied as an acolyte or squire or some other junior rank before he became the legendary hero he was known as, right? Unlike him, I'm already a grown man. I'm twenty-three for your sake, Arceus, I can't just pick up an entirely separate craft and master it, especially not some ancient art form I didn't even know existed until five seconds ago. You've got to give me more to go on than that. And another thing, when does it end?" He sighed at the questioning glances. "I'm not necessarily against being your source of amusement, but when do I stop my journey? And what's waiting for me at the end?"

" **You… are much shrewder than I had expected, Aaron. Perhaps there is more of Arion in you than I thought,"** Arceus said. " **Very well, in your old life, you were fond of games. I will make a system similar to what you know as a Role-Playing Game. This way, you will both be more familiar with the mechanics of my world and be able to control your growth. Thus, you shall be responsible for your own destiny."**

"Fine, but again, when does it end?"

" **Hmm… that is indeed an interesting question. Let us say, when you truly become a master with a team of six dedicated to you."**

"That's a rather arbitrary goal, but I suppose I'm just going to have to roll with it. What now?"

" **Now you scream in agony."**

"Wha—AGGHHHHHHHH!" Aaron didn't even get to finish that question before excruciating pain overtook all rational thought. The world mercifully faded to black.

X

 **You have slept in a bed. Your HP and MP have been fully restored. All negative status conditions have been removed.**

Aaron groaned in discomfort as he sat up. He stared. The box wasn't disappearing. "So that was real then," he muttered to himself. He looked around to find himself in a typical hotel room with a small window, generic flower vase, and a plain lamp. "Arceus did say I'd get RPG powers, so… status?" As soon as the word left his lips, the already irritatingly familiar azure screen filled his vision.

 **Name: Aaron Phantomweiss**

 **Level: 1 (0%)**

 **Title: The Gamer**

 **Ability: NA**

 **HP: 50**

 **MP: 80**

 **STR: 3**

 **DEX: 6**

 **VIT: 5**

 **INT: 8**

 **WIS: 10**

 **LUK: 2**

 **CHA: 5**

 **AP: 0**

 **SP: 1**

 **Description: Aaron Phantomweiss died and was given a new lease on life in the pokemon world as part of an agreement between him and the Origin. He is just trying to find his way…**

"Ok, let's see here… my highest score is ten, so assuming that's about as high a score as a normal person can have… that makes five or six the average. Three Strength makes sense, I was never athletic. Oh, pale goat, I'm going to be doing a lot of walking, aren't I?" Aaron sighed. "Six Dexterity is reasonable. I may not be the fastest around, but that puts me at slightly above the norm but within the average range. I'm assuming DEX also covers deftness of fingers or similar skills since I dabbled in drawing and origami and whatnot. Vitality is normal. Intelligence too, I was going for my Master's after all," he said smugly, "and I suppose Wisdom would be higher too given that I was studying social science, not exactly what people call concrete by any stretch. Why is my Luck so low though? Are those guys somehow counting my death?"

 **Yes.** A second blue screen popped up.

"You guys can hear me."

 **Of course,** the screen replied, **have you ever watched a movie on mute? Your left eyebrow is twitching, by the way. That can't be healthy.**

Aaron did his best to ignore the chatty deities. "From what I can see, my HP is ten times my Vitality and my MP is ten times my Intelligence. That's good."

 **For thinking through some game mechanics, take +1 INT.**

"Gee, thanks, could you be any less condescending?" he grumbled, but checked to make sure that his stat did rise. Even if he did agree to be their amusement, he wouldn't simply let himself get swindled out of his stats. "Wait, I'm sure you guys will stop being so responsive soon, so I have some questions."

 **Smart human, take another INT. We will answer three questions. The rest is up to you… until one of us gets bored.**

"Lovely… I'll just pretend this is a tutorial then. First question: What do I do about my identity?"

 **That's easy. Father made you an identity. You are currently at the Lumiose City pokemon center, the southernmost one to be exact. Your room has been rented for one week. You will find your pokemon ownership license, passport, and general travel gear along with some money under the bed. In your bag, there is also a brief dossier on your fabricated history, including a nice sob story. I suggest you memorize it and get rid of the file.**

"Wait, 'father?' Are you Dialg – No! Don't answer that, that wasn't a question."

 **Very well, what is your second question?**

"When in the timeline am I? Clearly, this bed is modern so I'm not in the time of AZ, but did AZ create his doomsday device?"

 **Those are two questions, but I'll be nice. You are roughly at the start when Serena picks her fennekin. Yes, AZ built the doomsday device. I will offer no more details.**

"Fine, play hardball. One final question then: What is the fastest way for me to get stronger that is available to me?"

 **Human sacrifice.**

"Ok, why hello there, Giratina."

 **How?**

"None of the other three would give an answer like that. Besides, it's not like I have any knowledge of rituals that'd let me get stronger from killing people." The blue screen shimmered and fizzled out into static before stabilizing.

 **Ahem, this is Dialga. There are effectively two ways to grow stronger: First, you can train your attributes through exercise, study, or similar activities. Second, you can train skills. Yes, you have skills, don't interrupt. Or rather, you** _ **can**_ **have skills. Please make note: YOU CANNOT CREATE YOUR OWN SKILLS. ALL SKILLS MUST BE ADAPTED FROM YOUR POKEMON, PRESTIGED, OR LEARNED THROUGH ANOTHER EXTERNAL SOURCE. Seeing how you have no skills at the moment, I recommend finding yourself a pokemon. This concludes your tutorial. Good luck, Aaron.** The blue screen disappeared.

"That wasn't as helpful as I would have liked," Aaron mused, "but it's not like I learned nothing so there's that." Aaron concentrated hard and glared at his pillow until his eyes watered. "Shit, I really can't create any skills then. No Observe, never mind Heat Beam Eyes. Oh well, it was worth a shot. One more thing: **Inventory**!" His voice seemed to distort the very air for a moment and the azure screen returned.

 **Inventory (Capacity: 0/30 lb)**

Aaron stared at the screen before letting out a whoop of delight. "Fuck yea, I know space manipulation!" After calming down, he noticed the weight limit. It dampened his spirits a little, but he made note of the 30 pound limit and immediately connected that to his pathetic three Strength. Looking down, he found himself standing only in his boxers and sighed. He dragged the travel pack he'd received from the deities from beneath the bed and spread out his belongings over his blankets. He was surprised to find that his "camping gear" consisted of something similar to his world's army combat uniform, or ACU for short. It was camouflaged and the material was a deep navy blue, denser than the standard cloth he could see the people strolling outside wearing. He found a second set and a vest made of ceramic plates he'd undoubtedly use for protection. All things considered, his outfit would weigh roughly 22 lb, three for the clothes and 19 for the body armor.

It was this fact that really brought the message home for him. He, Aaron Phantomweiss, required body armor. He, Aaron Phantomweiss, was in a world which required body armor. He, Aaron Phantomweiss, would likely die without this armor. He had to take a few minutes to digest this fact and all its accompanying implications. Thankfully, he found no more jarring surprises when he opened his rucksack. In it were a tightly rolled sleeping bag, rations, canteen, basic cookware, lighter and fluid, flashlight, what he thought was a GPS, an old fashioned compass, a small handgun he didn't know the name of with some packs of spare bullets, and his new wallet. The wallet contained ten bills with the number 100 printed on them. "Not a bad start," he mused." He quickly shoved everything back where he found it and was happy to push them into his inventory.

 **Inventory (Capacity: 24/30lb)**

 **-Travel Pack**

 **-Money: 1000 Credits**

Given that his new vest weighed almost 20 lb, he was grateful for the small mercy. It was one thing to hear about how soldiers carried 60 lb packs every day, but an entirely different story to live it. "Now that I have the inventory somewhat in check… skills!" The screen did appear, but it was entirely blank. He wasn't too disappointed, Dialga had told him as much, but that blank screen told him just how weak he currently was. Even if he was unable to use Observe, he was fully aware that pokemon, and quite a few humans, would be able to take him down. His only real hope was that he'd get a decent starter and a fair shot before he ran into a wild tyranitar or something equally ridiculous. He shook himself from his thoughts and figured he'd start with the dossier.

"Let's see… 'Aaron Phantomweiss, sometimes goes by Arion, named for the Aura Master. Age: 23. Height: 5' 7". Weight: 152 lb. Hair: Black. Eyes: Blue. Skin: Pale. Background: Aaron used to live in Opelucid City in Unova. He had no early interest in pokemon battling and chose to join the city watch instead at the age of 15. Over the course of two years, he distinguished himself from his peers through his intelligence and hard work, though he was never considered particularly athletic or suited for a combat position. As a result, he was asked by his superiors to train recruits and handle logistics rather than run patrols. Aaron lost everything four months ago when Team Plasma's aerial frigate laid waste to the city using Kyurem's power. His parents perished in the attack, but Aaron's friends in the city watch and among the ACE Corps managed to evacuate him along with several dozen civilians. Since then, he left the Unova Region and has earned his pokemon ownership license. He has moved to Lumiose to try his hand at training…' Wow, that's dark. I mean, I can't feel bad for a hypothetical family or anything, but still. At least it tells me something about the happenings of other regions."

Aaron finally zipped up his vest and stepped outside. The outside hallway was plain with some colored tiles in seemingly random places for flavor. It more or less looked like a generic hospital. He followed the exit sign until he emerged into the lobby and encountered a pretty brunette. She sat at a counter with her head leaning against one hand while the other cradled a coffee mug like it was her firstborn. She hadn't even noticed him until his fake cough, the universal plea for attention, caught her by surprise. Startled, she gave a high squeak and almost tossed the mug into the air.

"Holy shit, don't do that!" she yelled.

"Don't talk to the receptionist?" he quirked an eyebrow.

Her cheeks reddened as she fumbled out some excuse about not getting enough sleep. "Anyway," she took a deep breath and said with more composure, "What can I do for you, sir? You're rather late for breakfast, I'm afraid. The canteen is already closed. Lunch won't start for another hour."

Her wooden smile silently screamed for him to go away, so he shook his head ruefully and took a step back. "Ok, thanks, miss. Can you point me to Professor Sycamore's lab? I'd like to ask for a starting pokemon."

She eyed him dumbly. Her mouth opened then closed, but no sound came out. After a few moments, she collected herself. "Aren't you a little old to be starting your journey? I thought you'd be a veteran with that outfit."

"Look…" he glanced at the nametag over her left breast, "Etoile, I've just recently sparked up an interest, ok? I just want to speak to the professor about it."

"Fine, fine, it's none of my business anyway. Go outside, take a right, and walk straight for two blocks. You can't miss his lab because it looks more like a small manor."

Aaron nodded his thanks and proceeded to do just that. As he stepped out his eyes narrowed to accommodate the dazzling sunlight. All things said and done, the cityscape did not interest him much. He studied in DC after all; the urban jungle was nothing new. What did catch his eye was several of what he assumed to be trainers riding on gogoats and weaving through traffic. The gogoats didn't look tired in the least while the trainers were whooping and hollering as they urged their mounts to go faster. Traffic, like on his world, moved at an average of about 35 mph. The goats were running at that speed, dodging traffic, carrying passengers, with no signs of exertion. "Pokemon are amazing," he mused.

X

The professor's lab was a manor, plain and simple. It covered half the city block; though to be fair, he probably needed that space if Professor Oak's lab in the anime was anything to judge by. The neo-gothic style was a little disconcerting at first, but Aaron shrugged and marched inside. "Of course the doors creak," he muttered. "Hello? Anybody there?"

"Out back!" a muffled voice called. Aaron followed the sound until he emerged into a garden. Turns out, the manor was shaped like a square donut; the center was just a hollow space open to the sky and filled with a synthetic forest environment.

Aaron froze. Back in his old life, he was unashamed to admit that he was a pokemon fan. He was good enough to rank rather highly on the Smogon OU ladder after all. Garchomp, one of the reigning kings of competitive play, was being petted and pampered by a man who could only be the professor. The azure dragon was crouched low, its snout rubbing the professor's outstretched hand. Aaron was unsurprised to note that the good professor was wearing a glove. A glove made of metal mesh. 'So the Garchomp has Rough Skin,' he thought. The dragon sniffed the air and gave Aaron a cautious look. Suddenly, it rose to its full height. The official pokedex entry noted Garchomp as being 6' 3". 'BULLSHIT,' Aaron screamed in his mind. The hulking dragon was easily twice that height, if not more. It lowered its head once more. Rather than wait for a friendly pat, the beast charged, causing a palpable distortion in the air. One moment, it was by the professor. The next, it had appeared an inch from Aaron's face, startling him and forcing him to land painfully on his backside. It glared menacingly and Aaron found a new appreciation for Lance's skill as the Dragon Master.

"Hahahahahaha." Rambunctious laughter filled the air as the professor doubled over in hilarity. It wasn't particularly malicious, but Aaron couldn't help but be annoyed. He had realized too late that the Garchomp was testing him. If the dragon was so rash as to attack everyone who visited the professor, there would be no way the professor would have kept it out, nor would he even be permitted to have a lab within city limits. "Garchomp, to me," he commanded, a hint of steel entering his voice. The dragon strolled back at a much more sedate pace. "Now, visitor, who are you?'

Aaron stood with as much dignity as he could muster and shook off the dust from his fall. "My name is Aaron Phantomweiss. I was hoping you could give me a starter."

Sycamore's eyes narrowed appraisingly. "You realize starters are only handed out to people who pass with a 95% or higher on their trainer's license exams? You don't sound like you're native to Kalos. If you travelled, you should already have a pokemon."

"I don't have a pokemon. I don't have a trainer's license either. I have an owner's license. It's why I'm here actually. I'd like to take a shot at training. I know it's a bit late for me," the professor scoffed, "but I want the chance at least. It's not as though I can't take the test, right?"

"True enough, though I'm going to have to run a background check to make sure you're not lying. ID please."

'Moment of truth,' Aaron thought as he fished his ID from his wallet.

"Interesting, this is Unovan, right? From Opelucid City… Ah, my condolences, young man."

"It's nothing. I'm not the type to dwell on stuff like that," Aaron said as evenly as he could.

"Well, it all checks out, Mr. Aaron Phantomweiss. You are free to take the test. Go back to the main hall and take a left. Head straight and you'll find my secretary's office. Let her know why you're here and Carol will show you what to do next."

X

Question 1: What is the strongest type?

Answer: No type is perfect; they each have their own flaws and benefits.

Question 2: Imagine that you are attacked by a pack of houndoom. What is your best course of action?

Answer: That depends on the pokemon in my team at the moment, but usually it will be to run. Only the strongest pokemon can take on a full pack of houndoom without serious injury. I would have a water type cover my retreat then use a flying type to fly away.

Question 3: Why is lucario considered a steel type?

Answer: Lucario have tough bodies. More than that, the spikes on their chests and limbs can act as weapons. They seem uniquely suited to channeling steel type energy.

Question 4: Ditto can be any pokemon in the world; some say ditto can even copy aspects of Legendaries. Yet, not one gym leader or elite four member has ever had ditto on his or her main team. Why?

Answer: Ditto may be able to copy all abilities of a pokemon, but ditto cannot copy a pokemon's natural vitality. Ditto, being amorphous, does not have much in the way of stamina and a few good hits will knock out even a ditto posing as a metagross. A ditto that takes an unfamiliar form naturally needs time to train and use that form. Transform, while a versatile move, has some serious downsides that makes it very difficult to train. Why have an imposter metagross with poor stamina when you can put in the effort to train the real thing?

'Ugh, I have no idea if that's right,' Aaron thought. 'I can tell you the effect of Gale Wing on talonflame, explain why entry hazards are so important, and talk about the benefits of weather based teams, but I don't know the first thing about pokemon biology,' he griped, 'Sycamore is going to think I'm an idiot-savant, isn't he?'

X

'This kid is an idiot-savant,' the professor thought as he looked over Aaron's answers. 'He's got a hell of a mind for tactics and strategy. I haven't even heard of some of these. Teach an arcanine morning sun and use it to tank hits? Who even uses a fire type as a wall anyway? Except Malva… but she's Malva… For that matter, who even calls it a wall?' He sighed and took a sip of coffee. He had returned to his office and Carol had come in carrying Aaron's test sheets ten minutes ago. He honestly hadn't expected much from the latecomer. It was a general truism that no matter how talented you were, training powerful pokemon took time, especially since some of them took many years to evolve and mature into their power. As such, trainers that met their primary partners through an owner's license before the age of fifteen had a massive head start. And yet, the regional professor couldn't help but wonder about the boy, man, who dropped by today. He was well dressed for the road, though he himself did not look to be as rugged as his preparedness might indicate. He knew quite a bit about tactics and strategy and if his test results were anything to go by, negotiation as well. However, he was a bona fide moron when it came to the habits of wild pokemon, how to track them, how to avoid them, diets, and other similar factors almost every aspiring trainer knew by heart. 'Remember, Sycamore, he never wanted to be a trainer. He was forced into it,' the professor ran a tired hand through his hair as he scolded himself internally.

Sighing, he stood and walked out into the lobby where the man was waiting. He cleared his voice to get his attention. "Good news, Aaron. You passed. You managed a near perfect score on tactical, strategic, and conflict resolution assessments. You got roughly half of everything else correct for a mediocre score of 72%. How you managed to do so well in one and not know the most basic questions of the other half beats me, but rules are rules. Carol," he waved to his assistant, "please print Mr. Phantomweiss' trainer ID." The professor turned back to Aaron and took another sip of coffee. "Look, Aaron, I'm going to be frank with you. You shouldn't be a trainer. You are a tactical genius as far as I know, but training involves more than battling. A good trainer must know about the life cycle of his or her pokemon. They must maintain their pokemon's proper nutrition, teach techniques, and when the situation calls for it, conduct operations on behalf of the Kalos League. You might succeed in some areas, but you fail so horrendously in others that I don't feel comfortable with giving you this license, no matter what the law says."

Aaron stood in silence and mulled over the professor's words. 'He's right. It's not too surprising. Sure, I was a ranked competitive pokemon player, but that doesn't mean I'll suddenly take this world by storm.' After a long moment, he spoke, "Professor, I am aware that I'm lacking in a lot of areas, but I'm not in a position where I can get out of being a trainer." 'Because the Origin and three elder gods will fry my ass if I don't,' he said in his head. "I've got another week's worth of time booked at the pokemon center. I don't plan to set out right away; the original plan was to sit in Lumiose and brush up on the local intel so I don't get killed in my sleep or something. Is that fair?"

The professor nodded in agreement. "Yes, this is wise. I'm glad you're not hot headed enough to run out into the routes like a fool. Even the routes closer to the city can be dangerous," he warned.

"No road is safe for an idiot," Aaron quoted a line from his world.

The professor gave another nod. "Indeed. Tell you what, I can't offer you a region-exclusive starter. Not only are they rare, their elemental abilities can prove very challenging for unqualified trainers. And like it or not, you're unqualified. Instead, if you come visit me every single day for the next week, I'll see what I can do about getting you a partner that's more appropriate for your level. I'll also take the time to cram as much information as I can into that head of yours. Agreed?"

Aaron thought about it and realized just how generous the professor was being. As a regional professor, he had to be busy. There was simply no way he wasn't, especially not with the mega stones cropping up all over the place. "Thank you, I'll take you up on that offer, professor."

Sycamore smiled. "Then we are agreed. Now, take the day to enjoy the city while I try to condense six years of Pokemon 101 down to six days. Lumiose has much to offer and even natives find something new regularly. Be here by 8am tomorrow."

Aaron left the lab with a brisk farewell. The three hour written exam was accompanied by a general physical portion. As expected of someone with 5 VIT, 6 DEX, and 3 STR, he passed without raising any eyebrows. As far as Carol was concerned, he was an average adult male, though on the weaker side. All things considered, it was five hours later by the time he received his test results. He had left the pokemon center sometime between breakfast and lunch, so he was starving. He quickly ducked into a restaurant called "Le Café Popote" and ordered himself a burger while trying to ignore the looks of condescension from the waitress and fellow patrons.

"Uncultured Unovan pig," a graying old man muttered in hushed French.

"Huh, I had no idea anyone could sound offensive in French," Aaron mused. "Holy fuck, I can speak French!"

"Monsieur, please quiet down. You are bothering other patrons," the waitress scolded.

Aaron rubbed his head sheepishly and gave her his best smile. "Sorry about that, mademoiselle. Just by any chance, could you please speak with me for a while? I'm trying to measure my understanding of the French language." 'Alright, calm down, Aaron. It's not like this is the weirdest thing that's happened to you.'

"French?" she tilted her head in inquiry, "What is that, monsieur? We are speaking Kalosi."

'Of course it's Kalosi… there is no France here.' He gave her what he hoped was a winning smile. "Sorry, sorry, Kalosi. I had a few friends back in Unova. They had a strange habit of giving the regions their own names. They would speak of their dreams at being pokemon masters and pretend to be secretive about it. You know how kids are. I'm afraid some of that rubbed off on me and it just slipped out now that I am actually in Kalos."

The waitress gave a charming smile. "Oh, that is adorable. For the record, your Kalosi is fantastic. You must have practiced a lot."

 **Congratulations, you've gained a Perk! Perks are a hidden mechanic in this game of ours. For the sake of convenience and expedience, this one is free. It only took you most of the day to figure it out. Idiot.**

 **Languages: Allows the fluent comprehension and expression of all languages encountered in the pokemon world. Be warned, while they may be similar to the tongues of your world, they may hold nuanced differences. For example, French is called Kalosi.**

"You could say that." 'But you'd be lying,' he finished in his head. 'Condescending assholes,' he thought before willing the notification box closed.

"Your choices in cuisine need work though, monsieur," she said gently. "Unovan may be more to your palate, but you are in Lumiose, the capital of culture! You should expand your repertoire, non?"

"You're right, I'll be here for a week before I hit the road again, so I'll be back to visit. You can recommend a dish for me then."

"Oui. I'm glad you are willing to explore. Oh, my name is Catherine, it has been a pleasure…"

"Aaron, Aaron Phantomweiss," he held out his hand. "Likewise, Catherine."

The rest of the meal went smoothly. The food wasn't quite as he remembered it in DC, but a burger was a burger and he enjoyed it nonetheless. 'I suppose I can't expect taurus meat to be exactly the same as beef,' he thought. 'It's definitely way leaner. Maybe that's why they put in so much ketchup, to add more moisture?'

X

Seven days passed in what seemed like a blur. He woke up at five, exercised for two hours, then returned to the pokemon center for the free breakfast. Then, after a quick shower, he headed out to the professor's lab by roughly 8am. He would help Carol with minor clerical work for two hours while the professor fed and cared for his pokemon then the two would spend the next five hours talking about various subjects a trainer should know with an hour somewhere in the middle for lunch. At 4pm, the professor would give him a handful of books to read and send him home while he'd return to his research. Aaron would head back to the center, drop off his goods, then run around some more while he committed the day's lessons to memory. He'd wash up again and return to the Popote for the day's recommended meal from Catherine. After returning home at roughly 8pm, he'd hit the professor's books until sleep took him.

'It's been a productive week,' he thought as he looked over his progress.

 **Name: Aaron Phantomweiss**

 **Level: 1 (0%)**

 **Title: The Gamer**

 **Ability: NA**

 **HP: 90**

 **MP: 180**

 **STR: 3 +3**

 **DEX: 6 +4**

 **VIT: 5 +4**

 **INT: 10 +8**

 **WIS: 11**

 **LUK: 2**

 **CHA: 5 +1**

 **AP: 0**

 **SP: 1**

 **Description: Aaron Phantomweiss died and was given a new lease on life in the pokemon world as part of an agreement between him and the Origin. He is just trying to find his way…**

 **Perks**

 **Languages: Allows the fluent comprehension and expression of all languages encountered in the pokemon world. Be warned, while they may be similar to the tongues of your world, they may hold nuanced differences. For example, French is called Kalosi.**

 **-Languages Discovered: Kalosi (French)**

 **Inventory (Capacity: 24/60 lb)**

 **-Travel Pack**

 **-Money: 930 Credits**

Overall, he'd gained 3 STR, 4 DEX, 4 VIT, 8 INT, and 1 CHA. That last point in Charisma threw him for a bit of a loop until he read the notification.

 **You have gained +1 CHA for chatting up that foxy waitress. Go chase that tail! (DISCLAIMER: This statement in no way reflects the opinions of the Celestial Dragons or the Origin with the exception of Giratina, that insufferable whore.)**

He laughed for a good minute in the middle of the road, causing mothers covered their children's eyes and walk on the other side of the street from him. It was now the eighth day and he had checked himself out of the pokemon center after cramming everything he would need inside his inventory. 'Ah, inventory, the single most useful skill in a gamer's arsenal,' he thought. With an additional three points in strength, his inventory's capacity had shot up to 60 lb, allowing him to store the entirety of his gear except the protective vest with space to spare. 'After all, armor is only useful if you put it on.' He was currently waiting in the atrium of the professor's lab for his first pokemon. He knew, of course, that it would not be froakie, or any of the other starters, as awesome as that might be, but he couldn't help but be excited. Kalos had tons of major powerhouses after all. Besides, power in the pokemon came from a variety of sources, but one in particular stood out to him: mega evolution. It allowed a mediocre fourth rate like mawile to dominate the competitive scene, at least in his world, being banned from all forms of competitive play except the Smogon Ubers tier, a classification reserved for the likes of Groudon, Rayquaza, and Lugia. The professor finally returned.

"Well, Aaron, I've got to say, you've impressed me. I figured you'd have a bit more discipline than a fifteen year old, but I didn't think you'd put in this much effort into learning. I'm sorry to say I still can't offer you a regional starter however."

"That's fine, professor, it's nothing unexpected."

"Indeed. As a beginning trainer, I tried to get you a pokemon you could bond with easily while simultaneously having the potential for immense growth."

Aaron couldn't help but feel excited. There were many options that fit the bill in the Kalos region. 'Is it a honedge? Probably not, ghost types must be hard to train. Fletchling? Talonflame is strong as all hell.'

"I got you a bunny."

"What?" The expression of excitement on his face froze.

"Oh don't look like that, I swear that this little guy has immense potential. He was bred for greatness after all." He held out the familiar red and white sphere.

Aaron nodded dumbly and accepted the pokeball. 'A buneary, really? Wait, don't judge too quickly, Aaron. They must be rare in Kalos, since they're native to Sinnoh. They can also mega evolve so lopunny isn't a weak choice by any means.' A more genuine smile filled his face. "Thank you, professor, I'll treasure him."

"Well, go on then," Sycamore urged.

Aaron felt a knot in his throat, his hands suddenly clammy with nervous sweat. He threw the ball and a brilliant white light filled the room. The light faded to reveal a bunny. A gray bunny with massive ears that ended in tough, dirt-smudged, shovel-like ridges.

"A bunnelby."

"Yes, a bunnelby. I wish you the best of luck, young man."

 **Omake** : **The Professor's Lessons, Day 1: Potions**

Aaron sat facing the professor. "So… what's lesson one?"

The professor gave a gentle smile and laid out several items on the table. "Do you know what these are?" Aaron's curiosity rapidly got the better of him and he picked up one to take a closer look. There were four spray bottles on the table, violet, yellow, pink, and blue. The one he had picked up was the smallest, with a violet tint and some sort of liquid inside.

Aaron grinned and replied, "They're potions, right? Standard," he held up his bottle, "super," he pointed to the yellow, "hyper, and max," he finished by pointing to the pink and blue bottles in turn.

"Very good, I'm glad I won't have to start from the very beginning. It's nice to see that the Opelucid City Watch has taught you the basics at least."

'Heh, sure, let's go with that,' Aaron thought.

"They are applied to heal wounds, and because trainers start at a young age, the potions are made to be… well…" the professor paused as he tried to find a tactful way to describe budding trainers.

"Idiot-proof?" Aaron supplied.

"Well… yes," Sycamore coughed. "At any rate, each bottle comes with specific instructions so I'd recommend you learn them. Knowing how to instinctively apply potions can and probably will save the lives of your pokemon some day." The young professor leveled an uncharacteristically serious look at the man sitting across from him.

"Yes, sir. I have a question, though."

"You don't need to ask if you can ask a question; that's rather redundant, don't you think?"

Aaron flushed a little as the professor chuckled at his expense. "Do potions work on humans?"

"That is a complicated subject, but the short answer is yes and no," he gave a small laugh at Aaron's confused expression and continued, "Potions are made of a wide array of ingredients, some of them extremely rare, but you have to keep one fact in mind: All potions, at their core, simply accelerate the body's natural healing process. Pokemon are much more durable than humans and have a much higher potential for regeneration, especially the likes of starmie and similar pokemon that are capable of the move Recover."

"So potions can help, but like any medicine, cannot exceed the body's natural limits?"

"Exactly! It just so happens that pokemon have much higher natural limits than humans. A standard potion is made up of oran berry concentrate. A super potion uses sitrus berry concentrate as its primary ingredient. For most people, the difference boils down to whether you like the sweet taste of oran berries or the tangy taste of sitrus berries. Both will push a normal human's natural regeneration to its maximum so it really doesn't matter what they choose to drink. However, pokemon can see much better results with a super potion because they have higher natural limits."

"Out of curiosity, what are the other two potions made of?"

"Hyper potions are much more expensive than super potions, not only because they are much more effective on pokemon, but because they are also difficult to craft. Say, how much do you know about berries?"

"I know that there are berries that heal besides oran and sitrus."

"Yes, good enough. In particular, the aguav, figy, iapapa, mago, and wiki berries all have immense restorative properties. However, pokemon that don't like the bitter, spicy, sour, sweet, or dry flavors respectively can suffer from some serious side effects if they consume too much. It's because these flavors are caused by nutrients that can react poorly with the pokemon in question."

"That doesn't make any sense. What does a pokemon's preference in taste have to do with what amounts to a severe allergic reaction?"

"Great question, and the answer is that the two have nothing to do with each other," the professor said with a bright smile on his face. "Confused yet?"

"Very."

"Well, it's not the pokemon's preferences so much as what this preference can indicate about that pokemon's natural diet."

"And by extension, you're saying that some pokemon can have negative reactions to some nutrients in berries they're not used to eating because they are not physiologically capable of digesting these nutrients properly. What can be considered nutrients for one species isn't necessarily true of others due to the sheer diversity of pokemon." 'So what he's saying is that this is a bit like dogs and chocolate, except on a much wider scale.'

"You are much more intelligent than your files indicate, young man."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Let's backtrack a bit to the original topic: hyper potions. They are exceedingly expensive because they must be standardized to apply to all pokemon, without triggering these allergic reactions. For some mysterious reason, Professor Horace Thurgood of Hoen found that these chemicals can balance each other out if combined in minute quantities. He mixed these five berries in small amounts, derived a concentrate, added some preservatives and other stabilizing agents, and created the first hyper potion about 60 years ago. This is why they are so expensive; they require a lot of know-how to create properly. The berries themselves aren't exactly common either. The largest orchards for these berries are all heavily subsidized by the Leagues, but still don't produce nearly enough."

"Woah, note to self: There is good money to be had in becoming a master herbalist."

"Hahaha, it takes a lot of work for that to prove fruitful, pardon the pun." The professor took a long draught of his mug before letting out a contented sigh. "As for max potions, they are the exception to what I said before. I said that potions drive one's natural regeneration to its limits. Max potions are dangerous because they temporarily break this limit. It can be a very good thing and has saved countless lives over the years, but it's not something that can be abused."

"What's the problem with breaking your limits?" 'It's what the Gamer power lets me do.'

"Well, nothing, but the energy for such a thing has to come from somewhere. The max potion includes everything used in a hyper potion plus one crucial ingredient: chansey egg. Chansey egg, when fertilized, is just that, an egg. However, before fertilization, it has the unique property of acting as a universal growth hormone, a hormone so powerful that it suppresses most of the body's metabolic processes in favor of regeneration. This rerouting of the body's energy may not sound like a big deal, but to an injured person who is already low on stamina, it can be fatal."

"I see."

"Anyway, because of the price tag, you likely won't have enough funds to afford a hyper or max potion until you get quite a few badges under your belt. That said, be sure to keep a few potions on you at all times. You never know when you'll need them."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, let us move on to what are often called status ailments…"

 **Author's Note**

 **I'll try to leave a bit here to talk about the things I write and answer questions. The omake are canon. They are only included as omake because the information provided in them is not critical for the enjoyment of the story.**

 **In game, the berries mentioned above restore ½ of the user's health, but will confuse the user if the user does not like the flavor. I figured this was the easiest way to include a game mechanic and adapt it to a more realistic setting. Scientists identify five tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory. The taste of spiciness is not normally considered one of the five primary tastes, nor is dryness. You will notice that in pokemon, salty and savory are replaced by spiciness and dryness. It's just one interesting example of how perceptions can change across cultures (because alternate universes definitely count as cross-cultural).**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my new story. As for the other members of Aaron's team, I'm happy to listen to suggestions, though I reserve the right to ignore them. I'm also a massive nerd when it comes to pokemon and its competitive community, so you can expect a lot of in-depth knowledge about that.**

 **That said, I will make a few promises going into this story, cross my heart. One, I will never inflate or deflate a chapter for the sake of word count. The words, "It's my longest chapter yet" will never come out of my mouth (or page) because that's a load of useless bullshit. Two, I will keep to the rules of the game I set forth. Three, I will respond to all reviews and PMs as timely as possible. Four, I will avoid trashy, baseless romance. If I write about love, the girl (or girls) in question will be significant to the plot. Five, I will do my best to develop the members of Aaron's team as individuals in and of themselves.**

 **That's it for me; thanks for reading.**

 **As always, constructive feedback is appreciated.**

 **Pat reon Sorre**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: On the Starting Line**

"A bunnelby," Aaron said flatly. 'Well, goodbye, mega lopunny, it was nice knowing you even if it was only in my imagination.'

"Yes, now say hello," Professor Sycamore said with a grin.

Aaron let out a mental sigh and turned to the bunnelby. Its whiskers twitched as it narrowed its eyes. "Hey the – " He was abruptly cut off as the bunny hopped off the floor and slugged him with its overgrown ear. "Argh, you son of a – " He was cut off again, this time by the professor's reproachful glare.

"I dare say he knows how you feel about starting with a bunnelby. Well, I'll leave you two to get acquainted. You can find me out in the gardens when you can agree to work together." With that, the man made his exit and Aaron heard the distinct sound of a turning lock.

Aaron made to protest, but the professor had long gone. He could not suppress a vocal sigh this time and turned to the bunnelby, who looked distinctly annoyed. "Ok, let's try again. My name is Aaron Phantomweiss and like it or not, it looks like we're going to be partners. Shake?" he held out his hand, only half expecting a response.

The response came in the form of a firm ear-shake. The irritated rabbit then promptly used Aaron's hand to propel himself into his new trainer's face in a classic headbutt.

 **-22 damage. Wow, the little one hits quite hard, doesn't he? I think you might lose a fight against this guy.**

"Gah! What the hell!" After a solid minute of swearing at the celestial dragons and trying to stem his new nosebleed, Aaron glared sulkily down at the smug rabbit. "Alright, fine. I may have deserved that." The bunnelby's ear twitched upwards as he eyed Aaron with a pointed stare. "Ok, no maybe. I deserved that. I'm sorry. Care to start over?" Aaron reached out another hand and this time, his new partner shook it firmly. "Ok, now then. Do you have a name? I know some pokemon are just called by their species names, but it'd feel weird to keep calling you 'that rabbit.'"

Aaron heard his new partner's voice for the first time; it was somewhere between a low squeak and a bark. 'Note to self, pokemon don't say their species names in real life.' The small rabbit pokemon studied his new trainer before giving a jerky shake of his head. "Would you like a name?" A nod. "What about Erde? It means 'earth' in a different language." A shake of his head let Aaron know he did not approve. "Hmm… maybe calling you 'Earth' is a bit plain."

A nod.

"Champ?"

Shake and a bark.

"Flopsy?"

Aaron had to duck to dodge a book sailing past his head.

"Ok, that was a joke, geez. What about Gimli? He was a great hero from a race of people who lived under mountains." 'Let's not tell him that Gimli was comic relief in an otherwise serious fantasy adventure…'

This time, the bunnelby seemed to ponder the name before ultimately throwing it out like the rest.

'He must like heroic names then.' "Guan Yu? He was also a great hero. He was so strong that after his death, the people deified him as a god of war. There was even a massive golden statue built in his honor."

Instead of thinking about it, the small pokemon shook his head vigorously and emphasized his disapproval by thumping its foot on the floor.

"Odd… Could it be that you don't want to carry a name that's been used before?" Finally, Aaron received a nod. "I see, so you want to build your own legacy; is that it?" A firmer nod. "Ok then, what about Fable? A fable is a story that has been passed down over generations. Does that work?"

He took a few minutes, but finally gave a slow nod that became more enthusiastic. With a sharp yip, the newly christened Fable hopped onto Aaron's shoulder. The two gave each other a grin. "Ok then, let's go carve out our story."

 **You have earned the tentative respect and cooperation of your starter. Reputation has now become a viewable statistic. All Reputation with others is set to 0, Neutral. You must act in a way which drastically shifts their opinion of you to begin gaining or losing Reputation with that person or group. You have gained +1 Rep with Fable. You have gained +1 CHA.**

X

Professor Sycamore wiped the sweat from his brow with a satisfied sigh. He spent the past half hour scraping his Garchomp with steel bristles. His Garchomp naturally had the Rough Skin ability and this meant that any moment of intimacy was likely to leave his trainer covered in gashes and bleeding out. He would often occupy himself with menial tasks to clear his head, his considerable intellect dedicated to some quandary or another while his body remained productive. At the moment, the dilemma of his choice was one Aaron Phantomweiss.

The young man was a mystery. Over the past seven days, he had driven detailed knowledge of a variety of topics into his brain, but some bits of knowledge seemed to come easier to him than others. 'He really is an idiot savant,' Augustine chuckled. The young man wouldn't know the first thing about pokemon diets, but contribute some obscure knowledge about pokemon breeding, like how pokemon with the Flame Body ability could be used to shorten an egg's incubation time. This ability was why talonflame were so dearly valued among the higher end breeders after all. The most surprising bit of Aaron's knowledge came on the seventh day, when he had allowed the young man to pick a topic of his choosing. Aaron had shocked him and asked about aura. More, Aaron had known enough about his namesake and his lucario to point Rota out on a map of Kanto, something only the anthropologists and historians could do with any accuracy. He had then gone on to talk about the capabilities of aura as though it were a confirmed thing. To be fair, it was, his study on mega evolution was based on it after all, but this wasn't exactly common knowledge either. He could have heard whispers during his time in Opelucid's City Watch, but that was rather unlikely since Drayden was not a man that was known for loose lips, or tolerating them. It wasn't impossible, but this did grab his attention. 'Who are you, Aaron?' At first, Augustine had thought Aaron had somehow unlocked his aura, not unlike his namesake, but aura was supposed to grant empathic powers and a natural ability to connect with and lead pokemon. If his reaction to a bunnelby, an admittedly lackluster starter, was anything to go by, Aaron did not have that. So if he wasn't some kid that unlocked his aura by a miracle, who was he? Sure, his background checked out, but the professor just couldn't dismiss the young man as a standard trainer for some reason.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. He turned to find Aaron with his bunnelby on his right shoulder, the duo wearing matching smug grins. The professor allowed their mirth to infect him as he gave an easygoing smile. "So I take it you two have come to an understanding?"

"You could say that, professor. I would like to formally introduce you to Fable, my bunnelby."

"Fable, you say? Why did you pick out this name in particular?"

"I didn't. I asked him if he would like a name and got a nod. Then I started with 'Erde,' or 'Earth' in another language. He thought that was too plain apparently so I started naming heroes. This time, he rejected them because he didn't want to pigeonhole himself into a role or be known as a copycat." This was accompanied by a firm nod from Fable. "So, I just asked if he'd like to be known as the first ever champion-level diggersby and create his own story. He liked that."

"A fine name, I approve." 'I'm amazed he got Fable to cooperate,' Augustine thought. He noticed a small smear of blood on Aaron's upper lip trailing from his nose and gave a mental chuckle, 'though it seems he did pay for the bunny's cooperation. Perhaps I should watch his progress.' "Please come with me Aaron, we must get the rest of your initiation squared away." After a quick apology to the Garchomp and a promise to return later for his grooming, Professor Sycamore moved back into his lab proper.

Behind him, Aaron marveled once again at the near gothic look that the place had going on and almost missed the professor turning a sharp corner. The lab itself was exactly as he had expected it to be. One wall was converted into a giant bookcase from floor to ceiling and a cursory glance told Aaron that the professor's collection was well organized by numerous subjects. They included geology and mineralogy, biology, chemistry, and even a bit on history and mythology. The rest of the room was divided along one massive table in the center consisting of a sink, microscope, Bunsen burner, and similar instruments. The wall immediately adjacent to the bookcase and across from the doorway was covered with maps of Hoenn and Kalos, red pins outlining what Aaron briefly remembered from Alpha Sapphire and Y to be the locations of known mega stones. He smirked at the rather empty map. 'Heh, so there are locations they haven't found yet. Note to self: Go get those stones when you're strong enough.' This wall also held up a small counter filled with binders and notes, neatly stacked and organized for ease of access. His eyes were then drawn to a cardboard box full of small, red cases. They were square and had a pokeball design. Aaron would've bet anything they opened into a holographic tablet. He'd recognize the Kalos model of the pokedex anywhere.

After another half hour conversation about Fable, his heritage, and the expectations placed on him, the professor picked one up and offered it to him. "Well, I know you know what this is, young man. Would you like one?"

"Would I? Can I?" he stuttered. During the week, he had found that the pokedex was offered only to a handful of trainers. The condensation of such a massive amount of data into tablet form was expensive and mass production only to have new trainers lose it or die on their journeys was considered too great a waste of resources. Regional professors only offered them to the trainers that were worth watching and the rest just had to make do with paper encyclopedias or buy them on their own dimes.

"Of course, you are interesting. It isn't often I get to meet a man with enough prudence to wait before starting his journey," the professor smoothly deflected. "In fact, if you happen to catch more than six pokemon you want to keep, I'd be happy to look after them for you, within reason of course. This doesn't mean you can catch everything you see, that would strain my budget rather quickly."

"What do you get out of this, professor? You can't offer to do this for every trainer you meet, so what makes me so special?"

"Well, if I am honest, it might give me the chance to study new pokemon. I've also found that trainers who start their journeys too soon end up in trouble or worse. I've proposed an increase in the minimum age of license holders, but alas, I only have so much influence. You are someone who had either the fortune or prudence to wait so you interest me."

'He's deflecting. This can't just be it.' "Ok, professor. Thank you for your offer. Now, is there anything else to sign?"

"As a matter of fact, yes there is." The professor slid three forms to him. The first is a form that registers Fable to you. The second registers the pokedex to you. The third is your acknowledgement of the rights and responsibilities of trainers. This one I recommend reading, though I did go over some of it with you on day three."

"Yeah, trainers, especially those given pokedexes, are obligated to tackle the League, right? We are also strongly encouraged to join the Ranger Corps after our sixth badge. We also need to answer trainer summons to protect against dangerous pokemon or aid in disaster relief. Finally, we have to pay the League a tax of 15% annually. I remember, professor."

"Good, now if I may ask, what are your plans?" Fable, who had been oddly quiet during this time, gave his new trainer a similarly curious look.

"I plan to stay in Lumiose for another week at the very least. I may not have much cash to throw around, but I think waiting a bit longer before heading out will be better in the long run. I don't know what Fable can do yet and I still have to do some shopping for supplies. After your lecture, professor, I think having a few potions for myself as well as for Fable could be a good thing before heading down to Santalune Forest."

"Good idea, young man. I'm glad you've thought this through. Good luck." Aaron left with Fable on his shoulder after a firm handshake.

X

Aaron had grabbed some food for himself and Fable from Popote then checked himself back into the pokemon center for another week at 45 Credits per day. Now 335 Credits lighter but with a warm bed, he sat across from his new partner. "Alright, bud, eat up. I've got a ton of new bombshells to drop on you." Fable tilted his head in inquiry before heading for the food. "First, I can use aura."

Silence. Fable stopped chewing and looked his trainer in the eyes. He scoffed then moved back to his food, a sort of vegetable terrine with berries and nuts sprinkled on top.

"Hey, I'm serious!"

 **You could use your SP, you know,** a box appeared in mid air.

"I don't have any skills to level up, if that's what they even stand for," Aaron grumbled.

 **SP are indeed Skill Points, but you don't use them to level skills. I know we said we would not give you any more help, but I suppose we should explain this much.**

"Thanks, Palkia." Fable's ears rose on end at the name of the celestial dragon then slapped down onto his face in what was undeniably a bunnelby style face-palm. "Hey, you just keep stuffing your face. I'm not crazy!"

 **How do you know who you're talking to? You only read dialogue boxes.**

"You struck me as the most reasonable of your siblings. Dialga is too, but he's also proud so I think he'd keep to his original promise not to help. Giratina… well, you haven't threatened my or anyone else's life yet so you're not her."

 **Fair enough.** Aaron could swear that the dragon was chuckling. **Now, open your pokedex then scan your bunnelby.**

Aaron did so and was rewarded. **Bunnelby (Fable): Huge Power: Tackle, Agility, Spikes** "Holy shit, you have a hidden ability!" Aaron shouted. Fable just crossed his ears above his head with a smug grin.

 **Ok, now bring up your character screen.**

"Status," Aaron said clearly.

 **Name: Aaron Phantomweiss**

 **Level: 1 (0%)**

 **Title: The Gamer**

 **Ability: NA**

 **HP: 90**

 **MP: 180**

 **STR: 6**

 **DEX: 10**

 **VIT: 9**

 **INT: 18**

 **WIS: 11**

 **LUK: 2**

 **CHA: 7**

 **AP: 0**

 **SP: 1**

 **Description: Aaron Phantomweiss died and was given a new lease on life in the pokemon world as part of an agreement between him and the Origin. He is just trying to find his way…**

 **Perks**

 **Languages: Allows the fluent comprehension and expression of all languages encountered in the pokemon world. Be warned, while they may be similar to the tongues of your world, they may hold nuanced differences. For example, French is called Kalosi.**

 **-Languages Discovered: Kalosi (French)**

 **Inventory (Capacity: 24/60 lb)**

 **-Travel Pack**

 **-Pokedex**

 **-Pokeball x1**

 **-Money: 595 Credits**

"Wow, I grew a bit. It's a far cry from barely 50 HP, that's for sure."

 **SP is used to adopt skills from pokemon. You cannot learn from a pokemon that is not yours. You can only gain one SP every five levels, the first being free, or through very special quests and achievements, so use them wisely.**

"Wait… I can learn anything my pokemon can learn? Sweet! Ok, Fable knows spikes, tackle, and agility. If I remember right, spikes is an egg move that can be gained when chesnaught is the father. So Professor Sycamore wasn't kidding when he said you had good genes, huh?" he said the last part looking at Fable. "Yeah, yeah, stop looking so smug. I can't really demonstrate tackle, nor do I want to learn it. Spikes isn't a priority for me either. Hmm… Tell you what, Fable, we'll continue this conversation in the morning. I'll show you something cool then." Aaron clicked on the only choice he could see.

 **You have selected Agility. Are you sure you want to learn Agility?**

Aaron clicked yes one more time and felt power infuse him.

 **Due to your activation of a new Affinity, the passive skill Aura Affinity has been granted.**

He quickly brought up his skills menu and grinned like a madman.

 **Aura Affinity: 5%**

 **Passive: Improves damage caused by skills of this element by Affinity Percentage.**

 **Agility: Level 1 (0%)**

 **Passive: Increases Aura Affinity by 5%.**

 **Active: Active: Improves DEX by 100%.**

 **Cost: 20 MP/minute.**

'Awesome, so that's 20 DEX when it's active. I can't take advantage of Aura Affinity since I don't have a damaging skill. It's not amazing, but it's something that will only improve with my own progress." Then, a thought struck him. 'Shit, I forgot. Reputation!' he shouted in his thoughts.

 **Reputation**

 **Fable: 1**

 **Augustine Sycamore: 0**

 **Denizens of Lumiose: 0**

'Well, this is going to take a while,' he sighed. He looked over and saw that the gluttonous rabbit had polished off both their dishes when he was distracted. He had also evidently fallen asleep. Aaron sighed and returned Fable to his ball. After tossing away the to-go boxes, he rematerialized Fable on top of a pillow. "Well, he's kind of cute I guess," Aaron muttered to himself before promptly allowing the darkness claim him.

X

 **You have slept in a bed. Your HP and MP have been fully restored. All negative status conditions have been removed.**

"Urrrgh," Aaron groaned as he blinked the light and fur from his eyes. 'Fur?' He shuffled upright and sighed as he found the source of the gray fur that had obstructed his vision: Fable's rear. Seeing that his new partner was still asleep, he grinned viciously. He arched his index finger and thumb and brought them to his mouth. He blew. The room was filled with a shrill whistle and the poor rabbit jerked upright in panic, clutching his hypersensitive ears in agony. "And that's what you get for shoving your butt in my face," Aaron gloated triumphantly.

Fable gave an almost human-like grunt and pointed to the clock hanging from the wall that distinctly read 5 am. He tried to curl back onto the pillow, but Aaron picked up the barely 1' 6" rabbit and slung him over his shoulder. "You know, for something so small, you sure weigh a lot. You know what could help? Exercise! Forward!" he yelled as his partner beat an angry rhythm onto his back with his flailing ears.

He saw Etoile, the receptionist unfortunately burdened with the morning shift at the center, once again hunched over a steaming mug of coffee. The sight of the petite brunette was one he had grown familiar with over the week and her apparent agony never ceased to bring a smile to his face. "Morning, Etoile, how's the coffee?"

"Urrrgggghhhhh… Shut up, Aaron, it's too early to deal with you. Give me a moment." The two had grown close enough to one another that they could excuse such minor breaches of etiquette. The belabored girl held up a hand while she drained her entire mug, the steaming liquid scalding her into wakefulness. "Ok, I'm better… I think. How do you even do it?"

"Do what?" Aaron asked innocently.

"Wake up at 5 am to _exercise_ ," she shuddered, saying the word like a death sentence.

"Dedication." 'Or the perks of aura and having celestial beings too bored to wait for me to get strong on my own.'

 **Glad we understand each other,** came the amused reply.

"Ugh, what do you want?"

"Nothing, I'm just saying hello," he smiled beatifically. "Why is the girl who is worst at dealing with early mornings stuck on the morning shift?"

"Because said girl has nursing school in the evenings and is the most junior member of the staff," she grumbled. "Now get out of here; I don't want to deal with your cheery mood right now. Come back when I have more energy, preferably with breakfast."

"Yes, ma'am!" he saluted and began trotting off to the area behind the pokemon center set aside for trainers. Once outside, he lazily tossed the 13 lb rabbit through the air. The rabbit landed gracefully and gave him a dry look. "You know, she didn't even notice you."

Fable shrugged and gave a nonchalant grunt as if to say, "Who cares?"

"Yeah, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that I'm going to show you I'm not crazy. Now, would you say that this training ground is roughly 100 m long from one side to another?" Fable offered another shrug and waved his ear horizontally. "I don't know either, but it should be about that distance. Now time me."

So saying, Aaron crouched into a sprinter's stance then dashed off as quickly as he could. About 16 seconds later, he hit the other side. Fable stared at him until Aaron jogged back. Then, he proceeded to cackle so loudly that Aaron wondered if he had hurt himself for a moment before he realized the rabbit was laughing at him.

"It's not funny! I'm also carrying my body armor! Not everyone is born with legs like a jackrabbit you know," he accused as he prodded his partner with his shoe. Fable only cackled louder and fell over onto his side. Aaron gave him a minute to get out all his mockery then stared him down. "Ok, I know that wasn't very impressive from a pokemon's point of view, but that was about the best a human could be expected to do while carrying an extra load like my vest. Since I have aura, I'm going to use the move Agility, know it?" he got a solid nod in response. "Agility boosts my speed by twice the standard amount so I should be able to make it to the other end of this training area in eight seconds instead of 16. Watch."

Aaron took his sprinter's stance once more, but whispered to himself. "Agility." He suddenly felt his body warm up as though a river of heated water coursed through him, starting from his heart to his extremities. Each pulse of his heart sent out a ripple that made him hyper-aware of his body. It wasn't so much that his heart was pumping aura like blood, rather that using his technique allowed him to be aware of what was already there and invisible to him before. This ripple of energy in his body began to drift downwards like groundwater until it settled heavily against his legs. It was a strange sensation, being able to feel the heavier concentration of aura in his legs while simultaneously feeling noticeably lighter overall. Outside of his body, Fable stood in awe. His trainer did have aura. A faint blue light had encompassed him for a moment then dripped downward. 'Hmm,' Aaron thought, 'It's taking some time to activate. It wouldn't be a problem if I just plan to travel, but those few seconds will kill me in a fight, not to mention that the light show isn't exactly stealthy.' Just as he'd finished his thought, the blue glow that surrounded his legs seemed to fade inward, strengthening his limbs and giving no indication to the world that this buff was in effect. 'Never mind, that's one problem solved.'

Aaron began his dash at an unspoken signal and as expected, finished in eight seconds plus change. He turned to look at Fable with a shit eating grin, "Believe me now?" Fable just gawked for a moment before collecting himself and giving a disaffected snort with a look that screamed for explanations. "Ok, so I'm sure you've figured out, I have aura. Long story short, I met Arceus and the three celestial dragons: Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. They unlocked my aura and allowed me to take in the skills of my pokemon. So unlike most trainers, I'll actually be able to grow alongside you in a much more literally way. I learned agility from you. Get me so far?" A nod. "Well, I'm sure you can see why, but this is a secret between me and my team, meaning you at the moment. No one else should know about this so don't go blabbing to other pokemon that your trainer is awesome; I don't need a psychic or some other telepath telling the humans. I'd like to keep my powers hidden unless it's a last resort. This is a part of the reason we're here at 5 am." He received one more nod and a wide grin. "Now, I should also be able to pick up skills in other ways, primarily through books, but the best thing we can do right now is to gain a decent foundation. I need to get stronger and faster to use the moves I learn effectively and training is never a bad idea for you either." This time, Aaron received a far more vigorous nod. Fable thumped his foot against the ground, eager to train. Yveltal would take him before he'd let a human get faster than him.

After sending Fable to do suicides across the training area, gave his own regimen more thought. 'Agility costs me 20 MP per minute. My MP regeneration rate is my wisdom, or 11 per minute. I have 180 MP. This means I can keep running with Agility on for a bit less than 15 minutes before I run out. Let's do that.' Aaron then shuffled next to his partner and began running again, practicing making his turns as narrow as possible.

Every time his MP ran out, he would turn to doing pushups, crunches, and other strengthening exercises until his MP recharged on its own. It would take a bit over 16 minutes to charge fully, so he managed to set a nice rhythm for himself of alternating speed and strength training.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye and Aaron noted to himself that the two should find a more secluded place to train. Trainers, being travelers, took every chance to sleep in with a real bed they could take, but there were some early birds occasionally and he didn't want to risk it. He decided he would go exploring today. He was marginally disappointed to find that Agility had leveled, but only by one.

 **Agility: Level 2 (2%)**

 **Passive: Increases Aura Affinity by 5%.**

 **Active: Active: Improves DEX by 105%.**

 **Cost: 20 MP/minute.**

 **Due to vigorous exercise, your STR and DEX have increased by 1! Due to your perseverance, your VIT has increased by 1!**

'Shit, this is going to take a while. The buff increased by a measly 5%. I guess I should just be happy that the cost didn't increase as well. At least my HP is finally 100. Then again, it's not uncommon for level 100 pokemon in the games to have more than 300 HP isn't it? Shit... I know it's not a perfect comparison, but still…' "Fable, we're taking a break," Aaron called through ragged breaths, "Let's get some breakfast then we can talk about our day's plans."

As Aaron made his way back inside, he was startled by an unexpected blue screen. He took a moment to read over the new update then pumped his fist in excitement. "Fuck yea, my first quest!"

 **Quest: Ninja Training 101**

 **Details: The path of a ninja is filled with stealth and silence. Secrecy is your best friend, the shadows your brothers. It doesn't matter how secretive you are if people can watch you train.**

 **Objectives**

 **\- Find a secluded training area within the city limits to use for the next week.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- A training area for your personal use.**

 **\- 15 Exp.**

 **Failure**

 **\- No training area. Your training will be ineffective and the first leg of your journey will be proportionately more difficult.**

'This could work. I'll have to ask Etoile for places I can go. Maybe I can ask Catherine too.' The two took a quick shower and Aaron found with dry humor that Fable already exhibited the habits of some ground types he'd read about. Namely, he did not appreciate getting wet. He knew it was necessary of course, pokemon were intelligent after all, but he grumbled like a four year old every step of the way.

After their shower, the starving partners rushed to the cafeteria, where they loaded three disposable plates with piles of eggs, two pancakes each, and three slices of bacon. Alongside the three plates, they loaded matching cups with fruits and carried their load back to the receptionist's desk.

"Hey, Etoile," Aaron called.

The girl in question looked slightly less sleepy, but tired nonetheless. She gave a cheery grin despite her weariness. "Is that food for me?" The two nodded with matching grins. "Thank you so much; I haven't had a chance to grab food yet. I had a small donut with my coffee, but still…" She did not hesitate to take her share from his hands and proceed to dig in. "Mmgffoww."

"What?"

She swallowed, "Now stand in front of me and pretend you're asking me for help while I gorge myself. I don't want Heather to know I'm eating on the job."

Aaron just chuckled lightly and complied, adjusting his body to cover her view from the hall he knew to house the head nurse's office. "I don't have a problem with this. The food is a bit of a bribe anyway. I was hoping you could tell me the best place to go to train in secret. I'm not too familiar with the city so I just don't know much about this place."

"Fine," she took a massive gulp from a water bottle she carried. "Don't go to Route 4. Or any other route surrounding the city for that matter. Don't go outside the city at all. If you want some privacy, though I can't imagine why given that you only have the bunnelby, I can give you the address to an abandoned warehouse."

"You know where I can find an abandoned warehouse? You're kind of sketchy aren't you?"

"Hey, shut up," she said defensively. "I live on the poorer side of Lumiose. It may be called the City of Light, but a college student is still dirt poor no matter where you go."

"So you live near an abandoned warehouse?"

"Yup. Thing is, most of Lumiose's supplies come in through the Lumiere River that separates the northern and southern halves. The river flows from the Axis Mountains near Couriway Town in the east and leaves at the western half of the city. When traders move up the river from Shalour City, they enter from the west so all the warehouses are there. Some are bound to be abandoned."

"Thanks, that's actually really helpful."

"You say that like you weren't expecting much," she grumbled.

"Anyway, I'm going to go find a place to finish my food sitting down. Then, Fable and I are going to check out the port. Later!"

X

 **Quest Complete: Ninja Training 101**

 **Details: The path of a ninja is filled with stealth and silence. Secrecy is your best friend, the shadows your brothers. It doesn't matter how secretive you are if people can watch you train.**

 **Objectives**

 **\- Find a secluded training area within the city limits to use for the next week.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- A training area for your personal use.**

 **\- 15 Exp.**

 **Failure**

 **\- No training area. Your training will be ineffective and the first leg of your journey will be proportionately more difficult.**

 **You have leveled up. You are now level 2!**

Aaron's grin threatened to split his face in two. "Status."

 **Name: Aaron Phantomweiss**

 **Level: 2 (22%)**

 **Title: The Gamer**

 **Ability: NA**

 **HP: 100**

 **MP: 180**

 **STR: 7**

 **DEX: 11**

 **VIT: 10**

 **INT: 18**

 **WIS: 11**

 **LUK: 2**

 **CHA: 7**

 **AP: 5**

 **SP: 0**

 **Description: Aaron Phantomweiss died and was given a new lease on life in the pokemon world as part of an agreement between him and the Origin. He is just trying to find his way…**

'Good, so I get five AP per level. Time to hoard.' He waited. And waited some more. 'What, no points to intelligence or wisdom for thinking this through?' he asked mentally.

 **No, of course not, only an idiot would squander a free opportunity to customize his growth. We refuse to reward you for simply not being stupid.**

'You guys are no fun,' Aaron pouted. 'All the other ROBs did in fanfictions.'

 **Exactly, and we refuse to become predictable. I assure you, there are no shortcuts to true power, only time and effort.**

'Well fine, Dialga.'

 **How… You know what? Never mind. It is only natural that you recognize my magnificence from that of my lesser siblings.**

'I'm going to leave you two to beat up your brother now,' Aaron sniggered as he sent some creative mental imagery involving a rubber chicken and hot sauce to the Mystri Stage. He was now in an abandoned warehouse closer to the center of the city. If he had to guess, the warehouse had initially marked the westernmost exit of Lumiose, a trading post with Shalour during decades past. As the city expanded, people built outwards and eventually made newer ports closer to their trading partner.

Aaron pulled out his flashlight from his inventory and took a quick look around. "Fable, up front, please. There might be some wild pokemon to battle here." 'More like there definitely will be,' he thought as he stepped in a dried, crusty substance colored a strange brown and violet. He unfortunately recognized it as zubat stool. 'If the games have taught me anything, it's that zubat are fucking everywhere.' He inched forward and pulled out his handgun, a gun he had found was called the Heckler M6. It weighed a measly two pounds and had a comfortable plastic grip that fit snugly into his hand. He knew of course, that it wouldn't stop anything larger than the average luxio, if that, but in a world where pets were guaranteed to be more dangerous than their masters, any defense was better than nothing. As it turned out, many of the trainers in this world were of like mind and worked to earn their concealed carry licenses as quickly as possible, something Aaron was grateful he would not need to do thanks to a certain scaly trio. He quietly expanded his pokedex and reviewed what the trainers of Kalos collectively knew about the nocturnal menace.

 **Zubat: the bat pokemon. It is an extremely common pokemon that often carries diseases as well as naturally being of the poison type. There simply is no such thing as its natural habitat because anywhere above sea level with a perch that is not too cold can be considered good enough for the zubat. It used to live outside in colonies so large that trees where they nested would seem to be filled with blue, diseased leaves. They have been driven into hiding inside caves, abandoned buildings, and sewers due to the stigma held against their evolutionary line. However, if one ventures far enough into the wild, with little human interaction, one may see these "megaflocks" of zubat roaming the forest and mountain skies.**

There was more information available, but Aaron just shrugged and closed the digital encyclopedia. Zubat were common enough that Sycamore discussed them in detail while he covered the threats most trainers routinely face. Aaron had learned more about those bats than he ever wanted to, like how their venom is a mix of their own natural toxins as well as those derived from their diet, such as weedle. This made crobat venom one of the most potent poisons in the world and a trainer who learned to extract the substance could make a pretty penny selling to pharmaceutical companies to derive into antidotes. This little tidbit Augustine Sycamore had told him had made him want to invest in a zubat, but he quickly tabled that idea when he realized he couldn't possibly stay awake during the night to train his zubat and develop the rapport necessary for a friendship based evolution. He was no Koga. Regardless, he felt well equipped to handle the most likely threat facing him at the present time.

'Here goes nothing. They probably won't make too much of a fuss about me being here unless they're led by a golbat and if the zubat are here, they're probably the weakest ones pushed away from prime nesting sites away from humans so a golbat doesn't seem likely.' Aaron swept his flashlight upward, startling a small flock. They chattered angrily, but otherwise made no move to attack. 'What's my best option here?' Aaron asked himself. 'I could try to shoot one down, but I'm not too comfortable with using a gun so I'll definitely run out of bullets before they run out of bodies. Besides, would the peanut gallery approve of meaninglessly chasing pokemon out of their nest? Probably not. The N school of pokemon mastery it is, then.'

Aaron lowered the flashlight's setting, dimming the harsh ray to be more bearable for the zubat. He repositioned the flashlight so the light wouldn't hit the nesting pokemon directly. "Hello, zubat colony. I am going to assume you understand me." Aaron jumped slightly as his vision was filled with blue.

 **Your compassionate action, if mired in pragmatism, has unlocked a hidden mechanic of an existing perk: Languages has been updated.**

 **Languages: Allows the fluent comprehension and expression of all languages encountered in the pokemon world. Be warned, while they may be similar to the tongues of your world, they may hold nuanced differences. For example, French is called Kalosi.**

 **-Languages Discovered: Kalosi (French), Pokemon (Nameless)**

'Convenient.' "Hello? Can I speak to your leader?" Aaron called. He heard a series of rustles as the chirping and screeching dimmed. Eventually, a rather large zubat, roughly 2.5 feet tall, emerged from the crowd to flutter in front of him. Aaron noted that the zubat seemed cautious, remaining several meters away.

"Speak, bunnelby," he, for his voice was most distinctly male, addressed Fable.

"I will not need a translator, flock leader," Aaron replied, his tone saturated with amusement.

The chattering only increased as the zubat realized that this human comprehended them. "How do you speak the Ancestor's tongue?" Aaron felt a slight thump on his thigh and when he looked down, found Fable giving him the same quizzical look as the zubat.

"Ancestor's tongue? I'm guessing Mew?"

"Yes, Arceus is the Creator who made the universe and the Legends, but he is distant, set apart from us lesser mortals. We bow to the Ancestor."

"Fair enough." 'Hey, big guy, maybe you should interact with them some more?'

 **No, Mew has done well as a steward of my creations. I believe this model of cosmic order is called the model of the clockmaker in your world. I have made the laws that govern reality; now I shall observe. Otherwise, where is the free will I value so? Hope is only found in the midst of despair, true strength amidst struggle. I cannot deprive my children of these.**

'That was oddly philosophical. Arceus is Lockean, who knew?' Aaron turned back to the zubat. "Well, how I speak the Ancestor's tongue isn't important, only that I do." He sent a meaningful look towards Fable, who gave a small huff and a glance that said, 'Explain later.' "Now, I wanted to speak with you because I am looking for a place to train apart from other people and pokemon."

"We will not leave. There is nowhere for us to go," the zubat elder said sadly.

"I figured. I don't expect you to leave, only to keep yourselves from disturbing my training during the day. In turn, I will try not to disturb your rest."

"You will also bring us food," the zubat said.

"I…" Aaron wanted to reject the deal. There was no way he could feed an entire flock… was there? "How many of you are there?"

"There are 60 members of my flock, many of them too young to fly far."

"I'm not sure how much food I can get; I'm just a starting trainer after all. But if you give me a day, I can come up with something."

"Very well, you may use a third of this warehouse closest to the entryway. We will not disturb you."

 **Quest: Give a Bat a Fish…**

 **Details: The zubat colony cohabiting your new warehouse wants your help in feeding their young. Help them or find a new place to train.**

 **Objectives**

 **\- Secure some food for the zubat colony.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- Depends on the amount and quality of food provided, as well as the means by which it was acquired.**

 **Failure**

 **\- Loss of training ground. Potential animosity of various parties.**

This led to three more hours of training until noon, which yielded two points in Dexterity and one in Strength and Vitality each along with another 78% Exp towards the next level of Agility. 'That makes 80%,' Aaron thought. He was tempted to stay and continue his training, but decided against it as both his and Fable's stomachs growled audibly. 'Besides, I have to do more than just run fast to survive.'

He picked up a sandwich for the two of them from one of the many cafes facing the river for seven Credits and noticed his diminishing finances. Thankfully, plenty of cyclists and joggers visiting these shops ensured that his sweat soaked form did not stand out much. 'Step one: shower, again. Step two: find a source of income, both for myself and for the zubat. Step three: find another way to grow stronger.'

X

Aaron stepped out of the shower into his room at the pokemon center as Fable twitched on the floor. "Lazy bunny," he teased. The rabbit just turned and threw his shoe at his trainer's head with pinpoint accuracy. "Ow! I swear I'm going to turn you into a purse!" he shouted, cradling his aching nose. Aaron's partner just sniggered and hopped to his feet.

"So," Fable said, "When were you going to tell me you understood me, boss?"

"Oh, so I'm boss now? Sure as hell don't feel like it," he muttered, still nursing his recent injury.

"That was for not telling me you spoke the Ancestor's tongue!"

"I didn't!" Aaron sighed at the disbelieving look Fable gave him. "I just learned the skill when I tried talking to the zubat!"

"Fine, whatever. What now?"

"I recover a lot faster than you, so I can train for longer. We just worked through five solid hours this morning and I'm pretty much ready to go. It's something to do with my aura, apparently."

"Okay, big whoop, I'm still stronger," he pouted.

"Are you jealous?"

"Bullshit, I don't get jealous of humans."

"Admit it."

"There's nothing to admit since I'm not jealous."

"Well, fine. Either way, since you need some time to recover, I'm going to find a way to make some money."

"Don't trainers battle each other for money?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes, but that can be really dangerous. You're already tired so I don't want to put you in a battle quite yet."

"I'm strong enough," Fable huffed. He tossed Aaron's other shoe at his head, barely missing as his trainer ducked with a yelp.

'Uh-oh, that probably wasn't the right thing to say…' Aaron thought, 'This guy's competitive as all hell.' "Fine, you're strong, I get it. I still don't want to battle though." He held out his hand to forestall any complaints. "If we lose, we lose half our money. That means we get less food," he finished.

"You make sense. What now?"

"Before we met, the professor took a week to give me a crash course on the life of a trainer. Something he said was interesting though. If I remember right, trainers get money for winning battles, but they also accomplish tasks set out by both the League and individual citizens. This both discourages stronger trainers from 'farming' weaker trainers for cash and gives trainers something to do besides battle. I've got an idea…"

X

Aaron found his way to the front desk of the pokemon center and saw that Etoile's shift had ended. She was replaced by a male nurse whose tag read "Jaune." Aaron strolled over and was greeted with an easygoing smile from the brown haired man. He rubbed his light stubble and said, "Hello, what can I do for you, my friend?"

"I was hoping you could point me to the job board," Aaron replied.

"You can go back to the residence halls and take the first door on your left. It's our computer room. Use your trainer license number to log in."

With a nod, Aaron left the receptionist for the computer room. He booted up the computer and typed in his license number to begin. The basic League page was similar to most government sites he'd seen in the past, the German Embassy's homepage came to mind. He snorted and quickly located the job board. It was organized by trainer qualification. Just as the US government had the General Schedule (GS) payscale, each job was categorized by a minimum badge requirement. Aaron saw an extermination mission for a family of wild exploud in Connecting Cave, available only to those with a full eight badges. He gave a low whistle, 'Holy shit, I didn't think exploud could be dangerous enough to need eight badges. I remember evolving one when I was on my seventh. Oh, I see,' he read, 'it says they have Scrappy.' He cringed. That meant that ghost types, the easiest way he could think of beating them, would be just as vulnerable as every other pokemon. Moreover, sound would automatically hit everything in the area. 'I see, Soundproof wanted. Self explanatory.' The job was also heavily recommended for those who acquired caving and ranger licenses and discouraged for trainers with less than three years of experience.

Finally, he found one that was in his paygrade and chose to save it to his pokedex for later consideration, just in case his idea didn't pan out. "Berry Picking," it read, "Flower shop in need of temporary harvesters. Applicant must be knowledgeable of berries, bug pokemon, and similar hazards."

After finding a few more jobs within his range of experience, he ran back out to find Jaune cleaning his desk. "Hey, Jaune," he called.

The scruffy youth gave him a casual grin. "What's going on, umm…"

"Aaron, I don't think I've introduced myself."

"How'd you know my name anyway?" he said with a suspicious look. Aaron just glanced towards his name tag as Jaune adopted a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I forget I'm wearing it sometimes; I've been here so long."

"You sound like you're in prison or something."

He barked out a laugh. "I may as well be. My mom is one of the doctors here. I was an art major in college, but my mom got sick of me living in her house and drawing all the time, so I'm stuck here 'paying rent.'" He waggled his fingers at the last bit.

"I don't see what's wrong with drawing," Aaron said, humoring the man.

"See, that's what I tell her! She just thinks there's no future in it or something. I mean, I get it; I know I'm not going to be some super famous artist, especially with so much of the craft taken over by smeargle, but I'd still like to have a following of my own, you know?"

"I get you. I didn't plan on being a trainer, see? Anyway," Aaron cut off the conversation before he could raise too many questions about a past that didn't exist, "I was wondering if you knew where I could sell poisons."

"You? You don't look much like a poison specialist," Jaune said.

"What does a poison specialist look like?"

"Most carry gas masks or filters. You wouldn't believe how many of them pretend to be ninjas or Zubatman just for kicks. They're an eccentric bunch, but dangerous as hell though."

"Zubatman?"

"How the hell do you not recognize the most iconic comic book hero?"

"Of course, sorry, I just wasn't expecting it to come up in conversation," Aaron lied smoothly. 'Holy shit, there is a Batman knockoff? Is there an Ariadosman too? Must satisfy personal curiosity,' he promised himself. "Anyway, I was wondering if there was a place to sell zubat venom."

"Yeah, definitely. Pokemon centers buy them all the time. Most trainers would prefer to do something else though. Zubat don't carry a whole lot, and extracting venom from a wild one usually requires that you kill it or stun it somehow without pissing off the entire cloud. It's just not worth the hassle, but if you want to try your hand at it, most pokemon centers and apothecaries buy one fluid ounce at the League prescribed rate. Why would you bother though?"

"What's the prescribed rate? And I wanted to consider getting myself a crobat. Or maybe some other poison type. I figured getting some hands on experience would be a good thing."

"Let me check for you, bud." The next minute was filled with furious typing. "Here we go. It's 12 Credits per fluid ounce."

"That little?" Aaron mumbled.

"Yeah, they're too common. You're going to have to milk three to get roughly an ounce. The venom is easily acquired, if annoying to gather, and you need a fair amount of it to make one antidote."

"It's less than I expected, but I suppose this isn't too bad." Aaron did some quick math in his head. 'The alpha said there are roughly 60 zubat in his cloud. If each of them contribute, I can have 20 fluid ounces. More realistically, some are probably too young so I should expect about 15. Given pokemon can battle every day, I think it's safe to assume that I can get about this many each day. That's 180 Credits per day. Not exactly the get rich quick scheme of the century, but it's workable.' "Thanks for the help, Jaune. I'm sure you'll make a great artist someday."

"You're welcome. Hey, when you have time, check out the museum on Rouge Plaza. It's a bit pricy, but I hear some of the best paintings in the world end up there. There's also that amazing sushi place that only the richest people get to go to. High Roller, I think it was called. A bit on the nose, but what do I know?"

X

Saying his goodbyes to Jaune, Aaron began shopping. He left Fable in the room with instructions to take a nap, or perhaps begin strength training. He demonstrated a vertical push up done with the assistance of the wall and left Fable to it. The first thing on his list was a 15 fl oz mason jar, as sturdy as he could find, to hold the venom. Then, he proceeded to purchase five pokeballs and potions. After double checking to make sure that his gun license was included, something he attributed to having supposedly served on the Opelucid City Watch, he made sure to grab two spare magazines and a box of bullets. His penultimate trip of the day ended at the city gardens, where he bought 60 pecha berries for two Credits a piece. All of this dropped his substantial 581 Credits down to a pitiful 188.

Finally, he made his way to a bookstore. His eyes lit up in glee the moment he saw the soft blue glow of several books on the shelves. 'You guys said I couldn't create my own skills,' Aaron crowed. 'Dialga specifically said I had to get skills from an external source. Books are sources, right?' He didn't wait for an answer as he hustled from shelf to shelf, picking out books at seemingly random intervals. Parents and children awkwardly backed away from the lunatic with a mad grin picking up books on martial arts, cooking, first aid, CPR, sewing, sexual techniques, woodworking, and even one on glassblowing. They just didn't want to know. Shop workers simultaneously shook their heads and pointed at one another to go deal with the idiot.

 **Yes, yes, we know. We left this loophole so you could learn some basic skills more quickly. Be warned, you cannot learn from TMs. That would be too easy.**

'You're not even pretending to not make my life difficult,' Aaron pouted.

 **Adventure is the spice of life and what is adventure without hardship?**

'You do realize you're misusing the quote, right?'

 **Who cares, you understand what I am saying. That is good enough.**

'Whatever,' Aaron shuffled his way to a small nook in the wall occupied by a comfortable, well-worn chair.

 **You do know they're about to kick you out, right?**

Aaron finally took a moment to look around, seeing the flabbergasted faces of patrons and employees of the small bookstore. "Ehehehehe… Would you believe me if I said I really like books?"

X

In the end, he had made out with four books: _Martial Arts and You: Self Defense for Idiots, Survival 101: A Trainer's Guide to Breathing Longer, The Sharpshooter's Handbook,_ and _Morty Abbot's Guide to Campfire Cooking_. This brought his precious Credits to a bare 136.

"All in all, a great haul for only two hours of work, right Fable?" By the time Aaron got back to his room at the pokemon center, Fable was panting in exhaustion as he leaned against the wall. His normally perky ears drooping to the ground.

"I have no idea what you got and therefore can't comment on your haul, jerk."

"Oh, right. I'm sorry." He pulled out his books.

"Those things that humans read from? Do they have stories?"

"No, or at least, that's not the main reason these books were made. These books were made to teach something and I, being the awesome aura guardian that I am, can absorb the knowledge within books. Like so." Saying so, he willed the "yes" button on the four text boxes that floated above each book and the manuscripts disappeared in motes of light.

 **Self Defense: Level 1 (0%)**

 **Passive: +1 STR, DEX, and VIT**

 **+5% Physical Attack and Defense when using known stances and techniques.**

 **Active: NA**

 **Cost: NA**

 **Wilderness Survival: Level 1 (0%)**

 **Passive: +1 DEX, VIT, and WIS.**

 **Grants knowledge of basic survival tactics across a variety of terrains.**

 **Active: NA**

 **Cost: NA**

 **Marksmanship: Level 1 (0%)**

 **Passive: +3 DEX.**

 **+5% damage and accuracy of projectiles.**

 **Active: NA**

 **Cost: NA**

 **Cooking: Level 1 (0%)**

 **Passive: Improves the taste and nutritional value of food made by the user by 5%.**

 **Grants intuitive understanding of ingredient preparation and cooking methods.**

 **Active: NA**

 **Cost: NA**

When everything was said and done, those 60 Credits were the best he'd ever spent. The four books had granted him 1 Strength, 5 Dexterity, 2 Vitality, and 1 Wisdom. Each point seemed to take him an hour of dedicated work, so that was basically a full day of training made up for purely with passive skills. Cooking itself wasn't bad either. The intuitive ability to understand cooking methods meant he likely would never starve and would pair with Wilderness Survival extremely well at some point.

"Sure, but seriously what can't you do? And how?"

"Aura," Aaron said with a shit-eating grin that threatened to rip his face in half. The simple fact that no one had seen a fully realized aura guardian since Sir Aaron of Cameran meant that no one could question his abilities and say aura guardians weren't supposed to have them. Granted, he didn't plan on broadcasting his skills publically, but he fully intended to abuse this little half truth as much as he could.

Fable just slapped his face with his ear and sighed. "I know that, you idiot trainer of mine. I mean how the hell did this even happen?"

"You want the long version?" Fable gave a resolute nod and Aaron sighed. "Fine… it goes like this…"

 **Omake: The Professor's Lessons: Day 1, Part 2: Antidotes and Awakenings**

"So, have you had a long enough break?" the professor asked. After his lecture on potions, the two had enjoyed a light lunch in the garden to clear the mind. Aaron took the time to digest both the information and food while watching two fletchlings mock-fight over a dried caterpie the professor tossed to them.

"Yeah, I think I'm good now. What're we going to talk about next?"

"Since we are already discussing items, I figured I should cover the full gamut of recovery items: antidote, burn heal, paralyze heal, ice heal, and awakening."

"Sounds good, so I guess we can start with antidotes?"

"Yes, what do you know about them?"

"Umm… they come in yellow canisters." 'Or, they did in game.' "They heal poisonous bites and infections?"

"That's only partially true. Poison is an extremely vague term to describe a substance your body rejects as harmful. Technically, salt, sodium-chloride, can be toxic to humans if ingested in large enough quantities. Therefore, it stands to reason that there is a wide array of antidotes."

"So… are you telling me that trainers should carry a dozen different types?"

"No, of course not. Today, I just want to give you some information on how the common antidote actually works. First off, understand that poisons can largely be divided into two types: neural and hemo. Basically, one affects nerves while the other affects blood. Take for example, zubat venom. It is a common neurotoxin which paralyzes the body by preventing neural receptors from receiving acetylcholine and other key neurotransmitters responsible for muscle movement. This can, given a high enough dosage, stop the heart. On the other hand, seviper venom is what is known as a hemotoxin and causes red blood cells in the body to undergo apoptosis, that is, cell suicide."

Aaron gave him a blank stare. A thin glimmer of drool slipped down his chin and the professor gave a dry chuckle.

"Perhaps that was a bit more technical than you need. The point is, the general antidote works on poisons caused by the more common threats out there: zubat, weedle, tentacool, etc. The general antidote is a mixture of roughly 60% activated charcoal, 35% pecha berry extract, and 5% a distilled cocktail of the more common poisons. It, like the potions, should be sprayed onto the infection and a dosage's worth should then be consumed."

"Woah, wait a minute. Charcoal?"

"Yes," the professor smiled. "Activated charcoal is charcoal, wood, heated at extremely high temperatures, such as via magmortar, and has been used as a medical tool for centuries. It is basically a chunk of pure carbon. You can ingest it to cause poisons in the stomach and intestines to bind to the carbon instead of your body, thereby allowing you to release the toxins through your stool."

"Oh, wow. I didn't think that would work. So what does the pecha berry extract do then?"

"Simply put, it stimulates the body's natural immune system. When you eat a berry, the chemicals that stimulate the immune system aren't ingested in a high enough concentration to have a noticeable effect, but the extract used in an antidote is more potent."

"Pokemon that are poisoned sometimes eat pecha berries and get better, right?"

"Right, I said _you_ wouldn't see a noticeable effect. A pokemon's immune system is much more sensitive. It would have to be, considering they are generally exposed to more toxins than humans."

"So if 5% of an antidote is made of venom from a poison type, can poison type masters extract and sell venom to pokemon centers and whatnot?"

"Mmhm," the professor hums in agreement, "It can be a good way to earn money, but also potentially dangerous as well. Poison types are known to be rather short tempered and extracting venom can be a painstakingly slow process. Also, pokemon centers and human hospitals will only accept venom used for the general antidote. If you carry a rarer poison, such as from a salazzle, you'd need to find a specialist to take it off your hands."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. Anything else?"

"Yes. We covered the general antidote, but remember that it's called 'general' because there are exceptions. Powerful poisons from the evolved forms of more common pokemon, such as crobat, can work too quickly or be present in too high a concentration for the antidote to take effect. Others, like the seviper venom I mentioned before, simply affect the body differently than the antidote can remedy. If you ever wander into territory inhabited by such pokemon, your best defense is a steel, psychic, or ground type and some pre-prepared specialized antidote."

"One last question: Can pokemon produce multiple types of poisons?"

"Generally no, but pokemon are amazing creatures and there are always exceptions. Take venusaur as an example. The poison powder used is a simple neurotoxin that causes a lot of pain. It's only lethal if you fall asleep in it or something equally absurd. It can learn a technique called toxic which concentrates its poison into such a high dosage that the neurotoxin simply begins to shut down the brain. They're both neurotoxins in the end, but do drastically different things. Are we good?"

"Yeah, this is really interesting. It'll probably save my life at some point so I should learn this."

"Glad to have an attentive student for once," the professor said. "I promise I have just one more topic: awakenings. Originally, awakenings were a medicine classified as a separate type of antidote; and in a way, this is true. Most causes of forced sleep are physiological. Awakenings cause the inhibition of melatonin, forcing the sleeper to rise. There are some supernatural causes of sleep, such as a powerful enough hypnosis, that can ignore the effects of melatonin restriction however. For those, you'd need a psychic to rouse you. Any questions?"

"Nah, I think I'm good."

"Good, because I need to get back to work."

"It was nice talking to you, professor," Aaron said.

"It's Augustine," the professor replied. "Feel free to use my name." With a friendly nod, the professor strolled back to his garden and his Garchomp.

 **Author's Note**

 **Erde is German for earth. Given the name Phantomweiss, Aaron chose to try German names for his pokemon before branching out.**

 **Guan Yu was a Chinese general and sworn brother of Liu Bei, one of the three great warlords from the Warring States Period shortly before and after the fall of the Han dynasty. He was inducted as a Taoist god of war and there is a statue of him in Jingzhou, China. He is most notably holding the Green Dragon Crescent.**

 **The part about pokedexes being offered to only a handful of trainers in each generation is true according to the Pokemon Adventures manga.**

 **A sprinter in high school can run the 100 meter dash at about 12.5 seconds if he is good. Usain Bolt has the world record at 9.58 seconds. Aaron has the absolute pinnacle of human Dexterity at 10 that can be assumed for adults. However, he is also weighed down by his vest, roughly 22 lb. This explains his standard speed of 16 seconds.**

 **As for Aaron's Exp, yes, it only took 10 Exp points for him to advance to the next level. This doesn't mean anything except that I am using a preexisting table for each level. More specifically, in the pokemon games, certain pokemon grow faster than others. Legendaries and pseudo legends like dragonite require a grand total of 1,250,000 Exp to reach level 100. You can actually find an Exp table for each level online if you're willing to do some research. This is the standard I am using. After all, this means less work for me and a lot less math.**

 **Aaron's gun, which was briefly touched upon in chapter one, is based off of the Heckler and Koch P6, the standard service pistol of the German army. It is roughly 2 lb, 8 in, and contains 8 rounds per magazine and has an effective range of 50 m, though that range can be stretched to 60 m in a pinch. The gun uses 9 x 19 mm rounds, which are the NATO standard. These bullets can be bought for $14 per box, 50 rounds per box. Aaron has perfect vision thanks to his gamer abilities along with superhuman DEX, but he isn't necessarily a marksman. Having superhuman dexterity does not automatically let Aaron account for lighting, recoil, wind, distance, and the movement of his target. At best, he is simply a talented beginner.**

 **The zubat colony (also called a cloud or camp) consists of 60 bats. They are based on vampire bats in the real world. While that sounds like a lot, bat colonies in the real world can have anywhere between 100 to 1,000 bats. I decreased the size drastically for two reasons: One, they are supposed to be weak as they were forced out of their forest habitat into the city. Two, zubat are much larger individually than the bats of our world, making food and other upkeep costs a greater issue. Zubat flocks just can't get that big in a city.**

 **Most civilians in the US government's employ are assigned a General Schedule (GS) number. This represents their seniority and payroll. GS-1 represents the bottom rung of the ladder and GS-13 represents the top level officials.**

 **If you've read the omake: The bit about the activated charcoal is real. So are several of the other factoids I included. The goal is to make the pokemon universe as scientifically plausible as possible.**

 **As always, constructive feedback is appreciated.**

 **Pat reon Sorre**


	3. Chapter 3

**Preface**

 **Hello everyone, Sorre here. I swore on pat reon and my profile that I would update at least one of my stories (or start a new one) every two weeks. This week, I'm going to update Gaming Guardian and Resounding Healer. Next week, I think I'll update On My Wings. Anyway, hope you're all well.**

 **If you feel I haven't answered your reviews, it's because I want you to read the story and wait in anticipation for what comes next. Although, there was that one person who thought I was being sexist by making Giratina female. Meh. Nonetheless, enjoy and have a great week!**

 **This chapter is possibly the most important chapter in Gaming Guardian to date, mainly because Aaron decides (him, not Arceus) on the course his life will take.**

 **Chapter 3: The Missions**

"You died."

Aaron nodded amicably as the two walked over to their new training ground. The sunset refracted across the water, shattering into glimmers of orange and red. After Aaron's return and confession, Fable had promptly taken a nap, saying that the world might make sense later. Poor Fable. Aaron just smiled and repeatedly tried to correctly guess the results of coin tosses for an hour, earning him 3 Luck. He still had no idea what luck could be used for, other than perhaps critical strike rate, but he figured it wouldn't hurt. He was hoping opponents would drop loot, but he somehow doubted it. After Fable's hour long nap, the two headed out for dinner at Café Popote and Fable took an unusual delight in allowing Catherine to pet him.

As they approached the warehouse, Aaron ducked into an alley and drew a bag of pecha berries from his inventory. '60 berries, one for each zubat,' he thought. He entered the dark warehouse and called, "Hello? Chief Zubat?"

A chittering filled the air as Aaron lit his flashlight. He made sure to aim down so as to not startle the flying rodents. Soon, he heard the sound of fluttering wings as a large zubat appeared. "Hello, human. You have returned to use our home?"

"I have. I've also promised you some food. I have 60 pecha berries, one for each of you. Will this do?"

"Yes, this will work fine. Can we receive these berries every day?"

"Umm, maybe? That depends on my idea."

"You mentioned it. Speak."

"I'd like to milk you and your cloud for venom," Aaron said, holding up the mason jar.

"That is acceptable. However, some of us will retain our venom as to protect the colony."

"Great, you can work out a rotation for yourselves. I just want this jar filled every night in exchange for 60 berries delivered to you every day I am here. Is that agreeable?"

With a silent nod, the chief zubat disappeared into the shadow of the roof.

 **Quest Complete: Give a Bat a Fish…**

 **Details: The zubat colony cohabiting your new warehouse wants your help in feeding their young. Help them or find a new place to train.**

 **Objectives: Secure some food for the zubat colony.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- 5 EXP per berry.**

 **\- A source of income while you are in Lumiose.**

 **\- Training ground.**

 **\- Antidote x3.**

 **You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You are now level 6!**

 **Name: Aaron Phantomweiss**

 **Level: 6 (28%)**

 **Title: The Gamer**

 **Ability: NA**

 **HP: 130**

 **MP: 180**

 **STR: 9**

 **DEX: 18**

 **VIT: 13**

 **INT: 18**

 **WIS: 12**

 **LUK: 5**

 **CHA: 7**

 **AP: 25**

 **SP: 1**

 **Description: Aaron Phantomweiss died and was given a new lease on life in the pokemon world as part of an agreement between him and the Origin. He is just trying to find his way…**

Before Aaron could finish gawking at the amount of Attribute Points he now had, he heard the fluttering of wings once more. "Human," the bat spoke.

"Aaron. My name is Aaron. If we're going to see each other more often, you may as well know me by name."

"Very well, what a strange convention," the zubat elder mused. "It matters not. I have spoken with my cloud and your deal is acceptable to us. You said you would bring us food every day that you come, so are there days you will not?"

"Yeah, I'm going to leave the city in a week's time. I might drop by again if I'm in the area."

"Fine, we would prefer a consistent source of food, but this works as well. Do you know how to take our venom?"

"Yeah… about that…"

X

It took two hours, but he finally managed it. Thankfully, as they arrived at sunset, it wasn't horribly late when they finished and Aaron had enough time to sell the venom for the expected 180 Credits. Aaron looked to his partner. "Do you want to do a quick job before we head back to bed?"

"Yeah, we may as well. I've still got fuel to burn. I think it's because of that nap earlier."

"Ok, let's go pick some berries."

Aaron ducked into another alley and picked out everything he could from his inventory, all 34 pounds of materials. He now had enough strength to store his body armor as well, but was reminded of the most stereotypical anime training trope: weights. 'I'm not Rock Lee, but still… My vest is 23 pounds so I can run with a grand total of 61 pounds. Let's do this.' Aaron dashed out of the alley, Fable hot on his heels, back to the southern end of the city.

Route 4, also known as Parterre Way, was one of the most traveled routes in the region. Parterre, or a level space in a garden filled with ornaments or fountains, described the route perfectly. The route connected Lumiose City and Santalune City and was constantly patrolled by the joint cooperation of the Gardener's Guild of both cities. Trainers often took the out of the way paths, cutting through the forests bordering either side of the route, but beginners were strongly advised to stay within the beaten path for their own safety. None of this concerned Aaron however. He never intended to leave the city limits. While the high rise buildings of Lumiose faded into the backdrop, the political limits of the city extended well into the route, and most definitely past the berry garden he was currently standing in.

His impromptu sprint had earned him a single point in Dexterity and Vitality while leaving him and his partner panting in front of the garden's owner. Raul Lewis, the job requester, was an old man, his hair long since gone gray and now making a strategic retreat past the crown of his head. He had greeted Aaron with a friendly, if a bit skeptical, salutation.

"You're cutting it close, lad."

"Haah haah, just… let me… catch my breath… Ok, yeah, I'm good now," Aaron said. He gave the old timer a once over. Raul was dressed in faded green overalls and a gray polo. His boots looked like they were made more of dirt than leather, though they looked sturdy enough to launch Mega Kicks from. "Sorry about that. I wanted to rush here before I went to sleep. It doesn't matter when the picking gets done, right?"

"No, I suppose not, youngster, but I've gotta sleep too, you hear?"

"Do you think Fable and I can finish picking berries before you head in?"

"I would've already gone in. I'm just setting the irrigation piping to spray at night so I can save on the water bill a bit."

"Ah, shit. Any chance Fable and I can pick berries anyway?"

Raul gave Aaron a longsuffering look. "You look like you're a trusty lad. Tell ya what? My two boys are supposed to take shifts to make sure them critters don't make off with too many of my berries. You got pokemon that can fight, I reckon?"

"Umm… Fable's all I've got," Aaron grudgingly admitted. "I started my journey really late. I do have this though," he said as he drew his handgun. "Will this do?"

"Only if you want to scare awake everything in a mile's radius, boy. You need to get yourself a suppressor."

"Yes, sir," Aaron saluted cheerfully. Raul just gave a gruff snort before turning into the house. He called for his "boys" and Aaron was surprised to find one significantly older than the other. The older man introduced himself as Clyde Lewis, Raul's son. He was a heavyset man with enough corded muscle to give some fighting types a run for their money, no doubt a result of heavy labor. He was accompanied by a pangoro, a seven feet tall monster panda chewing on a twig. The second was likely "boy" enough for the duo. His name was Kris Lewis, son of Clyde. Kris looked to be twelve years old, just young enough to have a holder's license, but not a trainer's license. 'He's likely learning from his father before heading out,' Aaron noted. A grinning scraggy ran at his heels, only for it to trip on its pant-like skin.

"Alright, listen up, you three. Clyde is going to watch for any thieves in the night. Kris and… uh… I never got your name, youngster."

"Aaron, Raul, my name is Aaron."

"Sure. Kris and Aaron are going to be picking the berries and placing them in the crates over there," he pointed to a corner of the house where three massive crates sat. "Look here, Aaron, we grow three berries here: chesto, pecha, and rawst. You match them with the pictures on the crates. Idiot-proof."

"Hey now," Aaron protested.

"Don't wanna hear it. You wouldn't believe the fuck-ups rookie trainers make. Teens have the attention span of volbeat, I get that you're older, but the signs are there for a reason."

"Got it."

"Good. Now, I'm going to bed for the next four hours. Clyde'll come switch shifts with me and my daughter in law. I'll do the guarding and Sheila'll do the picking. Between the five of us, we should get this done tonight." Having said his piece, the old man wandered inside.

"Hi, are you a trainer? How many pokemon do you have? Do you have any badges?" Aaron was immediately beset by the youngest member of the garden's family.

"In order: Yes. One. No."

Kris immediately deflated. "Aw… you're just one of those wandering wannabes."

Aaron couldn't help but feel offended as his eyes twitched dangerously. "Look, brat. I was a part of the Opelucid City Watch for years before I finally got myself a pokemon. I just took a late start, alright?"

Clyde cut off the budding argument. "Easy. Sorry about that, Aaron. My son's a bit excitable. He really admires Elite Wikstrom and wants to beat the man one day."

"Eh, it's alright." Aaron was stopped from saying more as the expected quest box appeared.

 **Quest: Better than a Fetch Quest… Right?**

 **Details: You wanted to do a quick job, but it turns out berry picking is more work than expected. Raul wants you to take a four hour shift to help clear out his garden.**

 **Objectives**

 **\- Work for four hours to gather berries.**

 **Bonus Objectives**

 **\- Completely harvest all ripe berries.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- 50 EXP per hour worked.**

 **\- 10 Credits per hour worked.**

 **Bonus Rewards**

 **\- 2 chesto, pecha, and rawst berries.**

 **\- 1 REP point with "Lewis Orchards."**

 **Failure: You don't get paid.**

A quick lecture from Clyde on how to tell ripe from unripe berries followed. Pecha berries looked pink and became soft. Chesto berries became a vibrant blue. Rawst berries were the trickiest because they looked more or less the same at all stages of ripeness. The only indicator was the distinct curl of the berry's leaves. Aaron practiced picking out ripe ones until he met Clyde's satisfaction.

"Say, Aaron," Clyde called.

"Yeah?"

"Isn't that heavy?" he asked, pointing to the travel pack he was still lugging around. "You're free to put it down, you know."

"Yeah, I figured. I didn't have to bring it with me. I have a room at the pokemon center for another six days. I just carry it because I figured I'll get used to the weight. Maybe it'd give me a bit more endurance."

"Or, more likely, you'll just be too tired to do anything when it counts and you'll die exhausted. When you start traveling, travel light."

"Personal experience?"

"Yes. I was an eight badge trainer when I retired after I met Sheila, my wife." Clyde gave a discreet nod to his son, who was picking chesto berries on the other side of the garden.

"Ah, I see. Anyway, we're not on the road so let me work out a bit."

"It isn't any of my business."

They swiftly got to work, Clyde picking up a berry here and there, but dedicating himself to keeping a watchful eye out for thieves. Fable, thankfully, knew enough to not poach a berry. One warning growl from an angry pangoro was plenty.

Roughly half an hour later, Aaron heard a soft growl from their stalwart guardian. Faster than Aaron could think to move, the pangoro surged forward, nailing a chittering venomoth with a blazing fist. The venomoth did not simply fly off with a sizzle. This was not an anime designed for children in which the main character never aged a day. This was an alternate reality, as real as any other world. A ridiculously powerful bear punched a giant moth with a fist that lit itself on fire like a meteor entering orbit. The chittering stopped as the venomoth's wings released a flurry of minute scales from the impact. These scales promptly ignited. The ensuing explosion staggered the bear, forcing it back a step with a pained grunt. It casually picked a rawst berry and swallowed, replacing the twig in its mouth with another. The effect on the venomoth was far more permanent. Caught with flammable wings in the center of the explosion, the moth was thoroughly dead, flash fried wings first and launched clear out of the garden back into the forest, a warning to other potential thieves.

"What're you gawking at, boys? These berries won't pick themselves," Clyde called as he gave the pangoro a firm pat on its back in congratulations.

Aaron's hands moved mechanically as he withdrew into himself in contemplation. He tentatively reached for the pool of aura he'd come to call his own. 'Hey, Arceus? You there?'

 **You seem disturbed.**

'How can I not be? I just saw a massive bear practically teleport, ignite its fist, then punch a giant moth to death.'

 **True enough. Do you wish I had given you a stouter mind? I believe the original user of the Gamer called it Gamer's Mind.**

Aaron paused. He genuinely hadn't thought too much about it. Gamer's Mind, theoretically, was an overpowered skill. It granted the wielder a basic immunity to mental status ailments, illusions, mental fatigue, psychological trauma, panic, and stress. While not as flashy as a city-destroying spell, it was undoubtedly a foundation for much more. 'No,' his own decision surprised him, but he stood resolute. 'I want to experience this. I want the terror and awe. I want to feel the pain and fear. And even the trauma. You didn't give me Gamer's Mind because you knew, didn't you? You knew my answer before I did.'

 **No. I knew you would be likely to reach this conclusion. In the end, I did not know for certain.**

'Either way, this is how I want it to be. You know, don't you, that humans can't improve unless we're running from something: failure, death, shame, humiliation, whatever it is, humans innovate and develop when we are pressed into a corner.'

 **Well reasoned.**

'That, and I don't want to grow so pragmatic that stats are the only things I obsess about. Pokemon, even in my world, was about friendship, the bonds between trainer and pokemon. I don't want to throw that away.' Rather than a direct answer, an in-game textbox greeted him.

 **For a well reasoned argument, your Wisdom has increased by 1! For realizing the worth of your humanity, you have unlocked Reputation with Arceus!**

 **Reputation**

 **Fable: 1**

 **Arceus: 1**

'Thanks, Arceus. I want to know though. Why? Why all this struggle? That venomoth died simply for trying to eat.'

 **Yes, she did. Tell me, Aaron, why might I refuse to intervene and create an intentionally unforgiving world?**

Aaron thought for a moment. 'For the same reason I didn't get Gamer's Mind. Or Body for that matter. It would cheapen the experience.'

 **Indeed. The bonds between trainer and pokemon, the power to rise above your peers, all of that is vital to the mortal experience. Light can be known only when put in contrast against the darkness. What we hold dear is precious because of the lengths we go to obtain and protect it.**

'We?'

 **Of course. I treasure my children. I treasure their journeys. Their self-realization brings me meaning, as does your own realization of your humanity. Not all Origins act as I do with their own multiverses, but I believe I am justified in my actions nonetheless.**

'If I choose to kill, Arceus, will you stop me? Would you have punished me had it been Fable that killed that venomoth?'

 **No. I leave you to your decisions, for good and for ill.**

Aaron let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he had been holding. To know that a god existed, yet to know that you were free to make your own decisions, was an immensely liberating epiphany. 'Thank you, Arceus. Truly.'

 **You are most welcome, Aaron.**

The rest of the four hours passed quickly for Aaron, lost as he was in contemplation. When Clyde came out, he received the quest complete notice and began walking back to the pokemon center.

"We didn't finish, but we're close enough that Raul and Sheila can finish up," Clyde had said, "Thanks for your help. You're welcome to take any more jobs we post in the future."

"If I'm still around, I'll keep that in mind."

 **Quest Complete: Better than a Fetch Quest… Right?**

 **Details: You wanted to do a quick job, but it turns out berry picking is more work than expected. Raul wants you to take a four hour shift to help clear out his garden.**

 **Objectives**

 **\- Work for four hours to gather berries.**

 **Bonus Objectives**

 **\- Completely harvest all ripe berries.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- 50 EXP per hour worked.**

 **\- 10 Credits per hour worked.**

 **Bonus Rewards**

 **\- Failed**

X

By the time Aaron and Fable made it to their room in the pokemon center, it was 3:30 am and the two were thoroughly exhausted. Aaron smiled to himself as he noted that he had received 2 Dexterity and Vitality and 1 Strength for his trouble. More importantly…

 **You have leveled up! You are now level 7!**

He had leveled. While he did miss out on the bonus reward, likely from being a bit too distracted, a reputation gain with Arceus outweighed the friendly neighborhood berry farm's favor and only a retard would be upset over that trade.

X

The following day, Aaron heeded Raul's advice invested in a Heckler and Koch P6 Suppressor for a hefty 107 Credits, leaving him with a pitiful 249. The day passed in a similar pattern: Aaron and Fable practiced Agility at the warehouse after a light breakfast. The two would then take the time to spar against each other; Aaron with a short pipe he would pretend was his hunting knife and Fable with his fist-like ears. Currently, the two were squaring off in the center of the dimly lit warehouse.

At an unspoken signal, Fable lunged forward, right ear first, and connected painfully with Aaron's left forearm. He grunted as he slid back and came to the uncomfortable realization that Fable, the bunny, was overwhelmingly stronger than him. **-18 HP!** 'Huge Power is so fucking broken,' he thought bitterly.

He resolved to parry rather than block and was marginally successful in his endeavor. Aaron pivoted out of the way of the next lunge and used the momentum of that spin to land a kick to his partner's backside, sending him tumbling head over heels into the floor. Lacking Observe, he couldn't quantify the damage he did to his partner, but that felt satisfying nonetheless.

"Ow, I'm going to get you back for that," Fable said as he picked himself up from the dusty floor.

Aaron allowed a smug smirk to spread across his face. "It doesn't matter that you're stronger than me if you're slower than me," he said with a serene smile.

Fable growled and dashed forward, this time with Agility cloaking his feet. Aaron tried to focus his aura into his legs to start the same technique, but was too slow. Both of Fable's ears curled into mace-like lumps and connected painfully with his stomach. Aaron felt his breath leave him as he was bodily flung towards the wall. **-34 HP!** He groaned as he picked himself up. 'Note to self; Fable's pretty fast.' He activated Agility as quickly as he could and shot towards Fable in a low sprint. He copied the knife handed lunge as demonstrated from his Self Defense book and was rewarded with Fable's surprised yelp.

"You could've killed me!"

"I could, if I were using a knife. I'm just using this pipe though," Aaron sang while waving the lump of metal back and forth.

Fable grinned maliciously. "I know, just like I also know your Agility takes aura to maintain. I'm just stalling." That said, the bunny just hopped away and began to bounce on the crates littering the warehouse while Aaron tried to keep up.

Fable dashed behind a crate, used the side to hop across to the wall, and back and forth until he scaled the shipping crate altogether. Aaron, unable to fit into the narrow crack, just jumped and climbed to the roof of the container. Before Aaron could climb up all the way, Fable launched himself feet first into Aaron's face, causing Aaron to drop to the floor on his back. **-34 HP! -5 HP!**

'Ugh, did not want to find out about fall damage like that,' Aaron thought. Out of the 160 HP he started with, he now only had 101 after factoring in his regeneration. "Good news. I regenerate health even during battle. Bad news. I can still have the wind knocked out of me," he muttered. He quickly thought up a plan and chased Fable to another crate. As he climbed, Aaron anticipated the kick and caught the rabbit. He quickly flipped himself over the top of the crate and punted his partner across the warehouse. "Ha! Take that!" Capitalizing on his partner's momentary dizziness, Aaron brought his pipe back and threw in an overhand motion. He was happy to note that Marksmanship gained some experience.

Another 15 minutes of the impromptu parkour tag left them struggling to breathe and splayed out on the filthy warehouse floor. **Due to rigorous training disguised as play, you have gained +1 STR, +2 DEX, and +2 VIT. Agility has leveled up! Self Defense has leveled up! Marksmanship has leveled up!**

"Skills," Aaron called.

 **Agility: Level 3 (10%)**

 **Passive: Improves Aura Affinity by 5%.**

 **Active: Improves DEX by 110%.**

 **Cost: 25 MP/minute.**

 **Self Defense: Level 2 (24%)**

 **Passive: +2 STR, DEX, and VIT.**

 **+10% Physical Attack and Defense when using known stances and techniques.**

 **Active: NA**

 **Cost: NA**

 **Marksmanship: Level 2 (12%)**

 **Passive: +6 DEX.**

 **+10% damage caused by projectiles.**

 **+10% accuracy of projectiles.**

 **Active: NA**

 **Cost: NA**

Aaron sighed in satisfaction. He was somewhat disappointed to note that Agility improved so slowly, but contented himself with the four Dexterity, one Vitality, and one Strength points he earned. 'Huh, it seems like I'm going to build towards a rogue type. At the moment, it looks like the passive skills give the most, but I doubt that's the case. I wonder if all aura based skills are percent based? If that's the case, having a strong foundation would by default make those more effective,' he mused.

"What are you thinking about, boss?" Fable asked.

"What a cheap, irritating rabbit you are," Aaron accused playfully.

"What?"

"You kicked me as I was climbing."

"So? Everything is fair. You punted me through the warehouse."

"Heh, good times."

"Asshole, you also tried to stab me."

"With a pipe. A very blunt pipe. Besides, how else am I going to practice techniques?"

"Did that actually help? I mean, it was fun blowing off steam, but I'm not sure if you got anything out of that."

"It did." 'Though I wish you were taller so I could practice against people in my weight class,' Aaron thought.

X

Once he returned to the pokemon center, he balled Fable and turned him in for a standard recovery cycle and took a shower. While he waited in the lobby for Jaune to return Fable's ball, Aaron surfed the net using his pokedex for a quick daily quest. Eventually, he found one that made him smile.

 **Quest: Exhibitionism!**

 **Details: "We here at Café Popote would like to invite trainers to battle patrons with holder licenses to draw in and entertain customers. The pokemon used must be low tier to prevent collateral damage."**

 **Objectives**

 **\- Battle and win at least three times in a row.**

 **Bonus Objectives**

 **\- Find a way to draw in more customers.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- 25 Credits per battle given by the café.**

 **\- 20 EXP per battle won given by the café.**

 **Bonus Rewards**

 **\- 1 REP with Café Popote.**

 **Failure**

 **\- You don't get paid.**

X

"So, boss, we're going to that nice food-woman, right?"

"Yeah. Her name is Catherine though, try to remember it."

"Fine. I wonder what I can get from her this time?" he asked himself as a bit of drool formed on his furry lips.

"You're abusing your cuteness, you know that, right?"

"You're jealous."

"Anyway… we actually got a job there. They requested that we battle in front of the café for a while."

"Cool! Our first battle!"

"Let's do our best," Aaron said before he opened the door of the café and stepped inside. The chimes rang melodiously and Catherine and Leo, the chef, looked up.

"Welcome back, Aaron," Catherine called with a friendly wave. "I think you've more or less tried everything on the menu though. Was there a dish you particularly liked?"

"Yeah, but we can eat later. Fable and I are here to pick up that job you guys put out," Aaron said as he showed off the pokedex with the job request on the screen. "It's still open, right?"

"Yes, we'd love to see you battle. So basically, we want to create a place where kids with holder licenses can test themselves against real trainers. Of course, if we can get more customers, this would be great, too," she said with a giggle.

"No one said you had to be completely selfless to do good deeds," Aaron smiled.

"Indeed, lad, now is that bunnelby your partner of choice?" Leo asked.

"Yes, sir. He's a bit of a handful, but I figure he won't cause too much damage anywhere."

With a nod, Leo went back to sautéing onions over a pan. "Fine, step outside and Catherine will show you where you can battle."

"Come with me, please. You're not the only trainer here, Aaron."Catherine led him back outside, where she beckoned to a rather flamboyantly dressed boy of about seventeen. "Enzo, meet Aaron. Aaron, meet Enzo. Enzo is somewhat well known in the neighborhood because he managed to get three badges in just his first year. After that, he came back to teach for the local school's trainer program."

"Hey there," Aaron said, offering a handshake. Enzo shook with a confident, if weak, grip as he gave Aaron a somewhat pained smile. 'I wonder if I'm that much stronger already,' Aaron thought, 'I need to hold back a bit.' "Sorry about that, I sometimes get too excited meeting new people."

"It's alright, no harm done. I'll be battling with my espurr. Will you be using that bunnelby?"

"Yes."

"Now," Catherine interrupted, "when one trainer gets tired, I expect you two to trade off instead of resorting to stronger pokemon." She gave Enzo a warning look.

"Of course," the two said in chorus.

The two had played a quick game of rock paper scissors to see who would go first and Aaron was pleased to have won. **By exercising your Luck against another individual, you've gained +1 Luck!** After a friendly "good luck" from Enzo, who had sat down with a complimentary coffee, Aaron took his place on one side of the makeshift arena. The first person to try a battle was a ten year old named Tim who was visiting with his parents. The boy sent out a dedenne and Aaron gave a gentle smile.

"Fable, up front," Aaron barked, channeling a certain Marine Corps captain friend from his old life. The crisp shout surprised many of the onlookers and seemed to visibly intimidate the youngster. 'Heh, I wonder what they'd say if they knew this was our first battle.'

"Ready! Go!" Enzo called.

"Fable, evade and use Spikes!" Aaron immediately called. He had no idea how many or even if there would be another pokemon behind the dedenne, but he wasn't willing to take chances. Fable obeyed by running in a slanted line towards the right corner closest to Aaron and tossing caltrops made out of hardened earth all over Tim's side of the field. The mouse pokemon dashed as quickly as its little legs could carry it towards Fable, but being unused to sudden shifts in terrain, could not change its course quickly enough. It cried out in pain and discomfort as spikes dug into its feet.

"Dedenne! Use Thundershock!" Tim commanded. The mouse squeaked out an affirmation as its cheeks began to spark. Two seconds later, a small arc of electricity sailed towards Fable.

"If you can avoid me, you can avoid that."

"Yeah. It's no problem," Fable replied, though only his trainer could understand fully. He took a single step to the side and allowed the attack to sail past him. "Try again," he goaded the mouse.

The yellow mouse gave another squeak of indignation before launching another missile, this time larger. Fable calmly hopped over it. "Fable, next time, try not to jump when avoiding attacks. The dedenne doesn't look like it can fire again quickly enough, but you'll be facing opponents that can rapid fire and if you're in the air, you're screwed," Aaron advised as his opponent grew more desperate.

"Hey, you're in the middle of a battle! Stop that!"

"Stop what, Tim? Stop teaching my pokemon? If you want to be a good trainer, you should take every learning opportunity presented to you. Or if you want to be a good anything, really."

After another four Thundershocks, the yellow mouse began lagging significantly. Its breath came in deep pants and each subsequent attack became further and further apart. Seeing this, Fable began to calmly stroll over. "Are you done?" he asked the yellow mouse.

"I can still fight."

"You're stubborn." Fable was only three feet away when the dedenne launched a desperate attack. He saw the sparking cheeks and jumped over the electric missile, landing on top of the mouse with its ears extended.

"And that's game and match," Aaron said with a smile.

 **For implementing a well planned tactic, you have gained +1 INT and +1 WIS. For successfully defeating your first opponent, you have received 111 EXP.**

'Huh, so I get experience independent of the quest. Good to know.'

Tim grumbled but reached for his wallet anyway. "Woah there, Tim. You don't have a trainer's license yet so you don't have to pay me anything. This battle is just hosted by Café Popote so people like you can get a feel of what it's like to be a trainer. It's not a serious thing."

"Oh, ok. Thanks!" he said, a bit more brightly now.

"Yeah, your dedenne should be better with a bit of rest. Now, do you know why you lost?"

"Umm… your bunnelby is just faster?"

"Yes, but if speed is what makes a pokemon the strongest, pokemon like pangoro or goodra wouldn't be apex predators in the wild. Speed is just one part of the answer. Think."

"Umm… you waited until dedenne couldn't attack."

"Ok, but my plan came into play even before that. Normally, getting into a ranged battle against a dedenne with a bunnelby wouldn't be a good idea, but I knew your dedenne was too young to quickly fire electric attacks so I had Fable cover the field in Spikes. This way, your dedenne wouldn't be able to move effectively while Fable could just run circles around him. I had Fable train in speed for this exact reason. Then, it's as you said. I just had Fable dodge your attacks with as small a movement as possible to conserve energy then close in for the knockout hit later. So you lost for three reasons. First and most important, you did not have a plan. Second, your dedenne was simply not mature enough to use electric attacks freely. Finally, your dedenne, while likely faster than my bunnelby in a straight sprint, couldn't make use of that speed appropriately." Aaron turned to Enzo. "Hey, Enzo, you're a teacher, right? Did I miss anything?"

"No, that was an excellent analysis. I didn't even know bunnelby could learn Spikes." The two waved as Tim ran off to join his mother.

"Yeah, his father was a chesnaught apparently."

"I see. I believe it is my turn now. Let's make this a learning experience," he said calmly as Aaron took his seat. Aaron bought a mug of coffee for himself and a pecha berry juice for Fable as Enzo got in position. His challenger, a girl named Emilie, looked nervous after seeing the first battle, but stepped forward without hesitation.

She sent out a fletchling while his espurr stared blankly ahead. At Catherine's call to begin, the fletchling darted forward with the white light of a Quick Attack hastening its movements. "Fast," Aaron mused. "Think you can outrun it?"

"Maybe. I bet I'm more agile though," Fable said as he hopped onto Aaron's shoulder with his drink in hand.

"Either way, the espurr is handling itself well." The small cat pokemon had lifted its curled ears by a fraction, blasting the bird with a wall of pure psychic force. 'Huh, that's probably Confusion, but how does one tell the difference between that and other psychic attacks? They more or less look the same,' he wondered to himself. The espurr was quick to follow and rapidly ended the battle with a tackle while the bird was disoriented.

"You sir, have no mercy," Aaron said as he rose from his seat.

Enzo gave a wan smile and took his turn on the bench while he lectured Emilie on potential training regimens. "It just happens when I battle," he said.

Aaron and Fable managed three more battles. First with another bunnelby that tried to overpower his. Fable put a quick end to that with a Huge Power boosted pummeling. After a short break, Fable battled a scraggy that almost won when it was shown to have the ability Intimidate and know the egg move Drain Punch. Thankfully, Fable barely scraped out a win thanks to his opponent's immaturity and inexperience. He just used Agility to dodge and tire out the fighting type before running in from behind with both ears extended. His final challenger was a girl with a goomy, a gift from her ranger sister apparently. Aaron had never been more grateful to know that the goodra line had naturally poor physical defense. Although slowed by the Gooey ability, Fable squeaked out a win by simply pounding it into submission with brute force.

 **For defeating a bunnelby, you have gained 36 EXP! For defeating a scraggy, you have gained 90 EXP! For defeating a goomy, you have gained 85 EXP! You have leveled up!**

 **Quest Complete: Exhibitionism!**

 **Details: "We here at Café Popote would like to invite trainers to battle patrons with holder licenses to draw in and entertain customers. The pokemon used must be low tier to prevent collateral damage."**

 **Objectives**

 **\- Battle and win at least three times in a row.**

 **Bonus Objectives**

 **\- Find a way to draw in more customers.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- 25 Credits per battle given by the café.**

 **\- 20 EXP per battle won given by the café.**

 **Bonus Rewards**

 **\- 1 REP with Café Popote.**

 **Through the quest, you have received 100 Credits and 80 EXP! You have completed the bonus objective and unlocked +1 REP with Café Popote! You have leveled up!**

Aaron and Enzo grinned as Catherine came over with more coffee. "Hello, you two, thank you for helping out today. We're about to close. However, Leo thought it was a success so we'd like for you two to come back. Of course, dinner's on us," she said with a smile.

"If you refuse, I'm going to punch you," Fable grumbled.

"Well, it looks like Fable is going to hit me if I say no, so sure," Aaron chuckled.

X

The next five days passed in a similar fashion. Aaron took the same quest, raising his reputation with the café by 5 and netting him 500 Credits and 400 EXP. He also found that the battles themselves would net an average of 70 EXP per battle. Four battles a day, five days straight totaled his experience gain to 1,400. Including the continuous quest he gained a total of 1,800 EXP.

For analyzing opponents, his Wisdom increased by 3 and Intelligence by 1. He also leveled three times, bringing him up to level 12. He did not slack off on visiting the warehouse either and with the daily purchase, of berries and the sale of venom, he got himself a nice 300 Credits.

In the warehouse, he and Fable continued to spar and race against each other, raising Aaron's Dexterity by 11, Strength by 5, and Vitality by 8. Fable had mastered Quick Attack as well as rapid pivoting with Agility active. Aaron also spent 100 Credits to invest in rubber bullets so he and Fable could have proper dodging practice. '400 rounds aren't as much as you'd think when you keep shooting a bunny with them,' he chuckled. At the end of it all, Marksmanship and Self Defense had leveled by 6 and Agility by 4.

 **Agility: Level 7 (80%)**

 **Passive: Improves Aura Affinity by 5%.**

 **Active: Improves DEX by 130%.**

 **Cost: 35 MP/minute.**

 **Self Defense: Level 8 (2%)**

 **Passive: +8 STR, DEX, and VIT.**

 **+40% Physical Attack and Defense when using known stances and techniques.**

 **Active: NA**

 **Cost: NA**

 **Marksmanship: Level 8 (0%)**

 **Passive: +24 DEX.**

 **+40% damage caused by projectiles.**

 **+40% accuracy of projectiles.**

 **Active: NA**

 **Cost: NA**

Finally, he would test his Luck every chance he got. He developed the habit of tossing a coin in the air and guessing as he walked from place to place, netting him an overall increase of 12 Luck.

He was also pleased to have found out a bit more about his inventory. One day, the grocer he bought his berries from had given him an extra pecha berry for buying so many so often. He had completely forgotten and left it in his inventory until the end of the week. Once removed, he could not tell the difference between the days old one and the one that he had just bought. He grinned manically and bought 165 pounds of food from four different retailers to avoid arousing suspicion then stored all of it into his inventory. His inventory now looked like this:

 **Inventory (Capacity: 199/230 lb)**

 **-Travel Pack**

 **-Food (165 lb)**

 **-Pokedex**

 **-Pokeball x6**

 **-Potion x5**

 **-Antidote x3**

 **-Heckler and Koch Magazine x2**

 **-9 x 19 mm Bullet Box**

 **-Money: 819 Credits**

Currently, Aaron and Fable were standing just outside of Lumiose Tower, the central landmark that housed the gym. He had thought about which part of the region he'd like to begin his journey. He made it his goal to gather every mega stone available in the professor's lab and now that he stood at the center of Kalos ready to take his official first step, he received a quest that sealed his commitment.

 **Quest: Mega Packrat**

 **Details: You don't even have a mega keystone yet. You haven't even taken your first step as a trainer yet. Most people don't even know mega stones exist yet. You realistically won't get every mega evolution out there because you can't develop a high Reputation with that many pokemon. But who gives a fuck? You're collecting them all anyway!**

 **Objectives**

 **\- Acquire a keystone, somehow.**

 **\- Acquire every mega stone you can get your grubby paws on.**

 **Bonus Objectives**

 **\- Find at least one worthy wielder for a mega stone.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- 500 EXP for acquiring the keystone.**

 **\- 500 EXP and +2 to all Attributes for each mega stone you obtain.**

 **\- Potentially unique events and rewards for each unique mega stone obtained.**

 **Bonus Rewards**

 **\- Gain title "Sage of Evolution."**

 **Failure**

 **\- NA.**

That did it. He now knew his destination. He began walking due West.

"Oi, boss, you know the first gym in the League circuit is the other way, right?" Fable said as he trotted after his trainer.

"Yup," Aaron grinned, popping the "p."

"Why are we going this way again?"

"Because I feel like it."

"Ugh. Why do I even bother?"

"Because you still don't know how awesome I am," Aaron shot back. "How do you know where the League trainers are supposed to start anyway?"

"Easy, I've been at the professor's lab for a few months. I hear things."

"Cool. For your information, we're heading towards Shalour. While you were at the lab, did you ever hear about mega evolutions?"

"Vaguely. What are they?"

"Well, saying that they're evolutions isn't exactly correct since the evolved forms aren't permanent. It'd be more accurate to call them transcendent forms. Basically, some pokemon have the power to transcend their final evolutionary stages temporarily and gain ridiculous amounts of power. For example, Diantha, this region's champion, is supposed to have a Gardevoir that can do it. To do this, you need three things: First, a powerful bond between trainer and pokemon. Second, an object wielded by the trainer called a keystone. Finally, the pokemon must also be holding something called a mega stone." Aaron didn't bother to mention the one glaring exception: Mega Rayquaza, the king of the sky and the origin of mega evolutions.

"Awesome, are diggersby one of these pokemon that can mega evolve?"

"Nope, sorry. If a mega stone that can make you transcend exists, it hasn't been found yet. Anyway, I think I can find a keystone at Shalour."

"Ooh, why do you want it? Are you going to find teammates that can go mega?"

"That's the idea, bud. To be perfectly honest, I don't much care about gaining badges or dethroning Diantha. She can keep her pretty ass on her throne if she likes. My goal is bigger: to gather every mega stone in existence." 'And meet Mega Rayquaza, but that's just for style points,' Aaron thought.

"What? How could you not want to be champion?" Fable asked in shock.

"Relax. I know you want to be the strongest diggersby ever, and I'll definitely get you there, but remember that I never said I'd become champion. I promised you that you would become a champion class diggersby. That's not the same thing. My goals might change someday, but I don't have any designs on Kalos' throne for now."

"Fine," he sulked. He gave a "hurumph" and hopped onto Aaron's shoulder. "I still expect you to take on gyms."

"Of course we will. Gyms are the easiest way to get stronger and measure our strength," Aaron soothed his partner. "Now, which road to choose. The wilds are too dangerous so cutting through the middle is out, but should I hit Route 5 or Route 13 first?"

"Meh, I don't care," Fable shrugged, but froze half way. "Actually, let's go to whichever road gives us the most battles."

Aaron rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile. "Why am I not surprised? Route 5 it is."

Aaron had one other reason for ditching Route 4. As far as he knew, Ash was coming very soon to Kalos and that would be the path the insufferable idiot would take. Honestly, he had no idea whether Ash even existed in this iteration of the pokemon world. If he did, he would be older and much more competent, or dead already. Or, he could be Red instead of Ash. Another possibility was that Ash simply would never come to Kalos, leaving Serena, Calem, and the rest of the X and Y group of friends to deal with Team Flare. 'That's another thing,' Aaron thought, 'Note to self: Find out which Legendary Lysandre is trying to manipulate… if any at all.' Seeing how he had no idea which timeline he was in, or if he would recognize anything about the plot at all, he simply chose to evade it all until the last possible moment, or until he finally got a damn clue. The two friends made their way to the Route 5 entrance.

 **Omake: The Professor's Lessons: Day 2, Part 1: Paralyze Heals**

"We may as well continue from where we left off. After antidotes, paralyze heals are the most used status relief items in the world," Augustine Sycamore said as he tossed one to Aaron to examine. "It is yellow. Admire it."

Aaron shot the professor an incredulous look that he brushed off with a chuckle. "Let me guess, people associate paralysis with electric types so the container is yellow like most electric attacks."

"Ding ding ding, you are… wrong! In fact, it's yellow because the original makers, Corinth Inc., wanted to use the primary colors for advertisement purposes. Way back when, printing complex colors was actually a challenge, I know you young'uns don't feel that pain, but believe me, it was."

"So I can legitimately call you an old man now?" Aaron asked with an innocent grin.

"Shut up."

"You said it, not me."

"Anyway, Corinth Inc. wanted to advertise their medicine as something accessible to regular trainers, not just doctors or field medics so they made burn heals red, ice heals blue, and paralyze heals yellow. It was just a matter of happy coincidence that paralysis is associated with electric type attacks. Having the three primary colors, and purple for antidotes, made them generally idiot-proof."

"Ah, cool. So how does any of that help us?"

"It doesn't. Not all knowledge has to be useful, Aaron. Some are just fun tidbits to know," Sycamore intoned wisely.

"Like how Professor Oak can magically know when you're riding your bike indoors?"

"What?"

"What?"

"Never mind." Sycamore sighed. Sometimes, Aaron would come off as a genius, especially with tactics and movesets. Then he'd say something utterly ridiculous like that. The professor leaned back in his chair and continued. "Now, I said paralysis is associated with electric types, but that association is as much of a lie as green frogs. Sure, politoed is green, but most amphibious pokemon, toxicroak, greninja, poliwrath, and seismitoad, are blue or some shade of it."

'Oh, if only you knew…' Aaron thought drily.

"In reality, virtually all pokemon capable of using poisons and spores in some way can paralyze. What is a neurotoxin except a paralytic? Can you tell me the difference between a paralysis that warrants an antidote and one that warrants a paralyze heal?"

"That makes a lot of sense actually. I'm just guessing here, but is it because paralyze heals are specialized to treat paralysis in nerves without the presence of poisons? For example, if you're hit by a Thunder Wave, your nerves seize up, but there is nothing alien in your body. If you are poisoned by Poison Sting, you might be unable to move when the venom progresses far enough, but the paralysis is a secondary effect. How close am I?"

"I'd expect that kind of explanation from one of my college students. You didn't go to college though, so impressive."

'I did though… just not in this world. Ugh, is every smart person going to think I'm an idiot now?' Aaron ran a hand down his face in exasperation.

"I say that was a half answer because you are ignoring Stun Spore, which requires paralyze heals as well and is caused by an external agent in the bloodstream. The real difference is that an antidote contains a mix of paralyze heal and purifying agents while a paralyze heal is… well, just that."

"I'm confused. Why don't we just use antidotes anyway if they have paralyze heals as an ingredient?"

"We don't use antidotes when we can avoid them because we should avoid ingesting too many medicines whenever possible. It's just not good for the body. Think of it this way: To paralyze something is to keep it from moving. Therefore, to heal it of paralysis, we must…"

"Stimulant, the general paralyze heal is a goddamn stimulant."

"Bingo. When it comes down to it, a paralyze heal merely kick starts the body's nervous system. Most Stun Spores do not warrant an antidote, despite there being external contaminants, because the spores have a very low effective period once it enters the body. After ingestion, they work once, then are promptly destroyed by the immune system. This is true of all powder techniques with the notable exception of Spore, especially from a parasect, but that's not really an issue now."

"Is there a case of paralysis that requires more than a paralyze heal?"

"Yes, if a machamp was to snap your spine in half," he said drily. "In all seriousness, some causes are more severe than others and will require a medical professional or a pokemon that can use Aromatherapy or Heal Bell. I think that wraps up my little segment; let's go to lunch."

 **Author's Note**

 **Here's a fun fact: The inventory's carrying capacity is 10 x STR pounds. That does not however mean that Aaron's own carrying capacity is 10 x STR. He can actually lift much more than he can store in his pocket dimension. 10 is the maximum attribute a human being in peak health can have. At the start of this chapter, Aaron's STR was 9. He most certainly can lift more than 90 pounds. The inventory's size is limited so I don't have him magically solve a famine or drain an ocean or something equally obnoxious and overpowered.**

 **I'm actually being very generous about the berry picking. In truth, harvesting produce is an incredibly demanding task, both in terms of manpower and time. It's romanticized as the idyllic countryside lifestyle, but that's because people don't understand how much work agrarian workers do. Now, imagine that, except parasites are all capable of killing humans easily. Again, I'm being generous with that quest.**

 **I said Clyde had eight badges. Wulfric's avalugg, in game, is level 59. Let's assume that with a type advantage, Clyde's pangoro didn't have to be Wulfric's equal and that he beat Wulfric when his pangoro was level 50. Even assuming the absolute worst IVs (pokemon equivalent of genes), nature (personality), and lack of training in speed (denoted as EVs in game), that pangoro would have 56 speed. With perfect IVs, a beneficial nature, and maxed speed training, it would have a 121 speed. I know, that's a tremendous gap between the best and worst Clyde's pangoro can be, but bear in mind: Aaron's speed (DEX) was 19 at the time. Even with Agility, his max speed is 38.95. Fast, almost four times as fast as the human athlete's base 10, but still not anything close to this pangoro's lowest possible statistic. In other words, there is an enormous gap between Aaron and a well trained pokemon. If you'd like to know where I'm getting these numbers, feel free to use Smogon University's Pokemon Showdown: Damage Calculator.**

 **Heh, bet you guys forgot Fable even had Spikes. Aaron gained 111 EXP, as though he were carrying an Exp Share with Fable. Note: That's how much you would get if you used Exp Share against a trained, level 7 dedenne. The dedenne is assumed to be level 7 because it learns Thundershock at level 7.**

 **As for how I calculated the price of food. The average American consumes 5.46 (rounded to 5.5) lb of food per day. That is 165 lb of food per month (30 days). The average American also spends anywhere from $180 to $250 per month on groceries (not just food). I simply rounded it off to $200.**

 **As always, constructive feedback is appreciated.**

 **Pat reon Sorre**


	4. Chapter 4

**Preface**

 **No, you are not dreaming. I decided to update early (about a month early according to my schedule for all stories) because I needed to edit and streamline some of chapter one. I hate it when authors make slight edits to chapters I've already read, but they show up as fresh updates on my favorites so I decided not to do that to you guys. Anyway, enjoy!**

 **Also, if you need to talk to me for any reason, please message me through Pat Reon or PM me directly. I read the reviews here, but sometimes forget to answer them.**

 **Best,**

 **Sorre**

 **Chapter 4: An Onix-pected Turn**

"It's official, Route 5 is for chumps," Fable grumbled.

"You complain too much," his trainer scolded. "I thought being able to understand pokemon would be amazing, but I'm stuck with a whiny, smart-ass bunny."

"Who's complaining now?"

"Ugh, how does N put up with this?"

"Who?"

"Never mind. Anyway, just because we haven't seen anyone who wants to battle doesn't mean you should just make fun of everyone out here."

"I hope you realize just how insane you look talking to me in the middle of a skate park," Fable said.

Aaron looked around to see several people whispering. Route 5, also called Versant Road, was partially converted into a skate park. Or rather, the first 2% of it was. The rest was your average narrow forest path patrolled by a rotating shift of rangers. Unfortunately for Aaron's sanity, the duo had yet to travel even a tenth of the way to Camphrier Town, their nearest civilized destination. Technically, they were within Lumiose City limits, just as the Lewis Orchards was back on Route 4. The city had decided to create a skate park for the purposes of exercise and "safe, friendly wildlife interaction," according to the sign at least. Truthfully, Aaron was mildly impressed. Not only did Lumiose manage to chase away the wildlife long enough to construct a recreational facility, they also managed to make it safe enough for parents to bring their toddlers. Granted, that required constant ranger patrols and a massive waste of taxpayer credits, but to each their own.

"Watch out!" Aaron was knocked out of his thoughts by a passing skater. **-12 HP!** Her board rammed painfully into his shin, sending the two of them sprawling.

"Owowowowow! What the fuck, lady?" Aaron cried out as he sat up and cradled his bruised shin. "I'm not some anime protagonist and you're not late for school or munching toast!"

She groaned as she held her helmeted head softly, her brunette hair cascading around her face. After a brief moment of mutual incapacitation, she whirled on him in outrage. "Me? What about you, you bumbling asswipe! You're the one spacing out in the middle of the skate park! And what the hell are you gibbering about toast for? Did you hit your head or were you born stupid?"

"Hahahahahaha! You should've seen the look on your face, boss! You humans sure are funny. I take it back. Route 5 isn't for chumps; it's just you," Fable cracked up.

Aaron was about to offer a scathing retort, or perhaps curse out the girl that ran over him, but froze when he saw several children laughing along with his partner. He drew a deep breath and sighed. "Look, for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I was thinking about stuff. I'm Aaron."

"Sophie," the girl grumbled. "And I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

"Yeah, well, I didn't exactly react properly either. You were holding your head earlier. Did you hit it especially hard or something?"

"Nah, I'm good. That's what helmets are for," she said with a smile as she rapped her knuckles on the helmet's plastic casing. Now that he had a moment, he gave her a quick once over.

'Sky blue helmet with swablu designs. A purple tank top over a skin-tight, black spandex shirt. Sky blue baggy shorts with an altaria flying in the background and black and violet sneakers. Guess what her favorite pokemon is?' Aaron thought.

"You can stop checking me out anytime now," she huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Instead of growing flustered, Aaron just rolled his eyes. "I wasn't. I was just thinking your outfit has a lot of blue. Like cotton-balls?"

"Yup, my favorite pokemon. My older brother's altaria had an egg and he gave me the swablu as my starter."

"Nice, now I'm going to get off the ground because I like my pants."

"You're wearing military fatigues… They're meant to be in the dirt," she pointed out, but rose with him anyway. "Now why is a ranger in the middle of the route? Most of the time, you guys patrol the outskirts. Are you on leave or something?"

"Nah, I'm not a ranger. I'm just a trainer heading to Camphrier. I can see why you'd assume that though."

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Aaron, but I'm going to pretend I didn't eat pavement because I ran into some guy."

"And I'm going to pretend I didn't get run over by some girl with a poultry fetish."

"Glad we understand each other," she said as she walked away.

X

Unfortunately for the two, this was actually the most interesting thing to happen to them until they were well outside of the Lumiose City limits. Eventually, Aaron pulled out his travel pack from his inventory and made camp for himself. He was grateful to find a small, one-man tent folded over itself and clipped onto the back of the travel pack. The tent itself was a deep navy blue, better to camouflage with the night sky, and was roughly the size of his sleeping bag when folded up. Both his and Fable's boosted strength made anchoring the tent's stakes a short affair. He then laid out a tarp to avoid the dew and moisture that would condense on the ground overnight and set his sleeping bag on top.

Aaron was quick to build a small fire and offered Fable two sizable berries from his food stash. He took out a piece of tauros skirt steak, and after a generous dose of salt and pepper, placed it over the fire using a cast-iron pan. The steak was soon followed by a piece of asparagus and a chunk of butter. Aaron spread himself out over his sleeping bag and did some sit ups. He would have practiced his Marksmanship, but he was afraid he'd hit some wild pokemon and invite a death match as the sun set.

"I think it's burning," Fable muttered as he chewed lazily on a piece of raw asparagus.

"No, it's no - " Smoke hit his nose as he was halfway up and he scrambled desperately to take the pan out of the fire. "Shit shit shit shit!"

"Heh, you're funny."

"Shut it," he growled as he waved his pan a few times in the air to get rid of the smoke. The steak was a crusty black on the outside, but fleshy and raw on the inside. "I like my steak rare but come on," he groaned. He sighed and settled his appetite with some grilled asparagus and berries.

 **Wilderness Survival has leveled by 1! Cooking has leveled by 1!**

X

Aaron once again rose at the crack of dawn and shrugged Fable off his chest.

"Huh? What?" Fable rubbed his eyes with his ears and looked around groggily. He saw the still mostly dark sky and scowled. "You, sir, need to learn to appreciate the marvel that is sleep."

"Yeah, whatever. We're going to take our sweet time getting stronger. That means we're still going to take the time to train even if we are on the road."

"Ugh, you disgust me."

Despite his griping, Fable stood and began doing some basic stretches Aaron had looked up earlier in the week. He figured that limbering up would be equally beneficial for pokemon as it was for humans and he had been proven right when he found a sizable amount of scientific literature about the craft. Granted, much of it pertained to human-like pokemon like machoke, but the point was valid.

Aaron activated Agility and soft, blue motes of light gathered around his body before settling and fading into his legs. "Race ya," he shouted as he tossed a pebble behind him and raced into the woods. He heard a muffled grunt before rapid steps followed. He made a sharp turn due north and began to weave in and out of the trees. Fable gained rapidly by bouncing from tree trunk to tree trunk. "Ass," he called as he gave a rough smack to his trainer's back.

The two tossed rocks, berries, nuts, and anything else they could get their hands on at each other while maintaining this chase. Aaron's Dexterity, after Agility, was an impressive 144.9. Fable was now noticeably slower than Aaron in a straight dash, but his smaller size gave him better maneuverability amidst the foliage. Due to the large gap in speed, Fable had to utilize both Agility and Quick Attack simultaneously to pull ahead of his partner. Aaron also quickly ran into another problem: He ran out of MP.

"Damn," he swore as he came to a jog. "I can only keep Agility up for five minutes at a time."

"Heh, I'm faster than you now," Fable crowed. He bowled Aaron over with a dropkick and raced off into the shrubbery.

Aaron pulled his head out of the dirt with an unhealthy twitch on his eyebrows and roared, "Get your ass back here!"

The two switched off in this way roughly every five minutes. When Aaron's MP recovered enough, he would activate Agility again to catch up and slap the irreverent rabbit around with his superior speed and thrown projectiles. After another five minutes, Aaron would run out of MP, or aura, and Fable would power down from his Quick Attack, staying only a few steps ahead of the infuriated trainer. By the time Aaron called off their game of violent tag, the sun was nearing its zenith.

"Fable, we need to get back. It's almost noon," Aaron called, "and I want to actually cover some ground today."

Fable bounded over. "Good, I was starting to get tired," he panted lightly. The past week he had spent under Aaron's training regimen had drastically boosted his already impressive stamina. "Hey, Aaron, where are we?"

Aaron took a long look around. The sun was high in the sky, and still rising, but the shadows somehow seemed longer. "Oh… fuck."

"We're lost, aren't we?" Fable deadpanned.

"No, of course not. Give me a minute. I remember I started running with the sun to my right so I was running due north. The sun is still rising, so the shadow cast points west. So, we need to keep the shadow to our right; then we'll be heading due south, back to camp."

"If you say so," Fable shrugged. The duo began a light jog due south while munching on a pair of chesto berries from Aaron's stash. "Are you sure we're going the right way?" he asked after another half hour.

"Yes," came the exasperated reply.

"Why don't you check that red pokedex thing?"

"Fine, but if I'm right, I'm going to punt you," he grumbled, but reached into his inventory anyway. "How would I even check our location? Even if we know exactly where we are, we wouldn't know where our camp is."

"I dunno," Fable shrugged. "It's a human contraption. Say, how does that thing send messages to other pokedexes? It's gotta be able to track stuff, right?"

"Yes, but I didn't leave anything back at camp to track with."

"You're hopeless."

Just then, Aaron noticed something. "Wait, Fable, look." He pointed at a tree.

"What?" He yelped as Aaron unceremoniously picked up the rabbit and flipped him upside down. "Oi! What the hell?"

"Your feet scuffed the bark," he said, holding the rabbit's foot against a tree. The patch of missing bark comparable in size to Fable's footprint. "Now we just have to keep an eye out for these scuff marks while heading south."

 **For your logical deduction, your WIS has increased by 1.**

"Huh, not bad. You're smarter than I thought, boss."

"Ass," Aaron grumbled playfully as he slapped the bunny on the back of the head.

"Hey, I see a venipede."

"What? Where?" Aaron looked to higher to where Fable pointed. "I don't see it."

"Look at the scuff mark on that branch over there. I did that while catching up to you. Right above it."

"Oh, I see." He took out his pokedex and gave the purple insect a quick scan. 'Wonder if I should catch it?' he asked himself.

 **Venipede: The centipede pokemon is a highly aggressive predator. It gains the title "centipede" not for the supposed hundred legs it has, which is evidently a myth, but because one hundred steps is purportedly the longest any of its standard prey have ever walked after being bitten. If encountered in the wild, beware; not all venipede have this extraordinarily toxic venom. Rather than possessing Poison Point, weaker varieties tend to Swarm. It is known for taking down prey much larger than itself.**

"What? Why are you quiet? Aaron?"

A shiver ran down his back and he drew his pistol. His eyes searched desperately for the next ruined bark and quickly found a trail south. "Fable?"

"Yes?"

"What are the chances do you think that this venipede doesn't want to eat you?"

"Why would it… oh shit…"

"When I say go, you hit Agility and follow me, ok?"

A series of chittering clacks reverberated through the woods. "Boss? I think we're a bit late for that," Fable mumbled as more purple bugs seemingly faded into view from the surrounding foliage.

'Options, Aaron… They just had to be the swarming type…' "Hey, venipede swarm, do you understand me?"

"Oh, is the human going to beg for its life?" one of the venipede jeered.

"It doesn't matter whether we understand you or not if you don't understand us," another said with a snicker.

Aaron clung to the incidental lifeline with all the desperation of a drowning man. "But I can understand you." He made sure to directly address the one who said that, a seeming female and the third largest in the swarm.

She clacked her mandibles in confusion. "You can? I like fletchlings soaked in my venom and fermented for a week. What did I say?"

"'I like fletchlings soaked in my venom and fermented for a week.' Yes, I understand you. I have a deal for you," Aaron called.

The swarm stilled and silence filled the air. The first venipede that Fable spotted spoke. "What would you give us that is worth your life?" he scoffed.

"Well, I am special. I can access a dimension with over a hundred and fifty pounds of food." Aaron's mind whirled through countless scenarios while he tried to negotiate. First, set his left palm up, his right hand still cradling the pistol like a lifeline. He then willed his inventory to deposit a berry onto his left hand. "See? If you don't eat me or my friend, I can continue to give you food." 'Shit, if I shoot the leader, I'll probably die from poison stings in every direction. Neither of us can outrun that many and they've already surrounded us. I can recall Fable and he'll live, but that isn't a solution I'll accept.'

"You say you have more?" A nod. "Give it to us." Excited clicks filled the forest and the swarm descended closer.

"I can't. I can only take out one item at a time," Aaron lied through his teeth. "Besides, how do I know you won't kill us after?"

"Then you will die," the lead venipede threatened.

"No, wait! I have an idea. What if each of you went inside the dimension? There is literally over a hundred fifty pounds of food, so you won't starve. You can all go in and carry out the food. While you are inside, I'm going to go back to camp, where I have other pokemon waiting. Then, you all will come out and we'll each be forced to go our separate ways without hurting each other because we'd kill each other if we fight. Is that satisfactory?"

The swarm chattered among themselves for a long while and Aaron eyed them up and down. 'Twenty four of them and they look like about ten pounds each. Makes sense, the ecosystem wouldn't be sustainable if the swarm was as large as an ant colony back home or something,' Aaron observed. He also noted the size of his inventory. Having left his travel pack at camp, his inventory was predominantly occupied by food and potions.

 **Inventory (Capacity 169/230 lb)**

He gave an inward smirk and noted that 61 lb of space was free. 'Twenty four venipede, ten pounds each, rounds off at about 240 lb. Factoring in the space already available in my inventory, that means I need 179 lb more. Let's up that to 200 just in case.' Aaron discreetly opened his inventory and dumped 20 of his hard earned AP into his Strength, increasing his inventory capacity to 430 lb.

"We have come to a decision," the lead venipede came forward and Aaron couldn't help but clutch his pistol a bit tighter. "We agree." Both Aaron and Fable drew in a breath of relief. "But, we want an assurance that there is good food on the other side. Show us," it commanded.

Aaron grit his teeth in irritation. 'It's better to be angry than panicked,' he told himself. "Fine, just watch." One by one, he drew out a hunk of tauros meat, mareep shank, and magikarp filets until he had roughly ten pounds on the forest floor. "Is this enough?"

Wordlessly, the venipede swarm lined up one by one. Aaron kept one hand on his pistol, but reached out with his other hand. 'Please work, please work, please work,' he prayed. 'Come on, Palkia. You never said I can't bend the rules like this!'

 **True enough, I suppose none of us told you what you could and could not do. Congratulations! For your creative use of the inventory, a pocket dimension that falls within Palkia's domain, you have unlocked Reputation with Palkia! +5 REP with Palkia! +1 REP with Arceus! +2 WIS! +4 LUK!**

 **I hope you did not expect them to live,** Palkia wrote as the last one entered his realm. **I refuse to allow another living being to operate in my dimension.**

"Isn't fruit technically alive?"

 **What's that? Did you just tell me you'd like to not be able to store food?**

"Nope, shutting up now."

 **To answer your question, it is not the biological definition of "alive" I am concerned with; it is the soul. I am as jealous of my dominion as my sister is of hers.**

 **Damn straight.**

"Huh, fair enough. You alright there, buddy?" Aaron asked Fable.

"Yeah, it was touch and go for a bit, but what the actual fuck, boss?"

Aaron gave a sheepish laugh as he scratched the back of his head. "Hehe, let's just say cunning is a strength all its own." **+7 REP with Fable!**

 **You have defeated a horde and received 2136 EXP as a result. You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up!**

 **Name: Aaron Phantomweiss**

 **Level: 15 (70%)**

 **Title: The Gamer**

 **Ability: NA**

 **HP: 340**

 **MP: 200**

 **STR: 43**

 **DEX: 63**

 **VIT: 34**

 **INT: 20**

 **WIS: 21**

 **LUK: 22**

 **CHA: 7**

 **AP: 50**

 **SP: 3**

X

"I still can't believe that worked out for us," Fable said.

The two had found their way back to camp and allowed the mental exhaustion of their near death experience to set in. The two had promptly collapsed for the rest of the day, simply refusing to do anything else out of a somewhat justified paranoia that another crazy incident would happen.

"Yeah, honestly, I'm still not sure how they fell for it."

"Say… when you use your magic box thingy," Aaron's eye twitched dangerously, "is a horde of venipede going to come rushing out with our dinner?"

"Nope, the inventory does not support life. Or rather, I guess it's better to say it does not support souls. The living tissue remains in stasis and won't rot, that's how I have fresh meat for me and berries for you. For whatever reason, Palkia refuses to let me store souls. I guess it's sacred or something."

"Phew, good to know. So you can automatically kill anyone and anything by touching them? No offense, boss, but you're terrifying."

"No, of course not," Aaron said. "Honestly, I was hoping they would be alive."

"What? Why?"

"They were just looking for food," he said with some remorse. "I mean, they died because they were hungry. That was their only crime. Besides, if I could store living beings in my inventory, that would mean I could take injured people and preserve them until I could get them help."

"You're a good man."

"The best," Aaron said with a smirk.

Fable scoffed and shuffled on his pillow to get comfortable as the two fell into an easy silence.

'Hey, Palkia,' Aaron called. 'I can't just insta-kill people by touching them, right?'

 **Of course not,** the communication may have been in text, but Aaron could tell the dragon was snorting.

'Hmm, what does a snorting dragon sound like anyway?'

 **Like an elephant trying to drop some bass.**

 **Oh, fuck off, sister.**

 **You wish.**

'Isn't that celestial incest or something? Then again, the Greek gods back in my world…'

 **We are NOT talking about this.**

 **Agreed.**

 **My brothers are no fun. Come visit the Hall of Origin already, Aaron.**

'I don't even know how to do that… besides the horribly complicated mess that is the Spear Pillar fiasco in Sinnoh and that doesn't sound very attractive... Back to my original question: Just how does the inventory work?'

 **It works exactly the way you told young Fable it did. None of us will permit you to store souls within the inventory. None of us planned for you to try a stunt like this to be honest.**

'To be fair, I wasn't planning on using the inventory as an assassination tool either,' he thought drily.

 **Indeed. Therefore, we are setting the rules for this new system. First, you must be able to touch your target. Second, you must somehow convince them to enter the inventory willingly.**

'In other words, you're limiting the inventory to the parameters that circumscribed the original situation. Alright, that's fair. Thanks for clearing that up.'

X

Aaron and Fable woke up to grumbling stomachs. Their lethargy and paranoia had kept them from eating anything, but now that Aaron knew a horde of venipede wouldn't be assaulting him, he called out a handful of vegetables and berries for Fable and a few eggs for himself. Apparently, the "spring mix" he got were harvested leaves from hoppip, oddish, and similar pokemon. "Good for the environment, pokemon, and you!" the packaging proclaimed. The two ate a light breakfast of poached eggs and salad before jumping right into their training. Aaron was somewhat disappointed to find that he didn't level any skills or gain any attributes, but figured it was to be expected given their somewhat more laidback training regimen.

The two stopped for lunch and Aaron took the time to try out different berry combinations. After all, in his world, these fruits simply did not exist. Among the dozens of pounds of food he had purchased, he had dedicated a significant amount to a diverse array of berries. He took some time to read up on the "active" berries from his world: kelpsy, iapapa, yache, etc. and was happy to find that they would not immediately activate upon consumption. Just like pecha berries represent a diluted form of the standard antidote, the concentrates from these berries had to be extracted and condensed. Standard consumption was fine.

Currently, the two had a light salad of mixed greens and chopped chople berries. Aaron remembered that the chople berry halved the damage received from a super effective fighting type move like Cross Chop. He was hoping that by feeding Fable the berries consistently, the rabbit would develop a natural resistance. The two found the berries to be tart, with a dry aftertaste that paired well with a sweet and sour dressing derived from bluk berries. The dressing did dye the greens an odd shade of purple though. Aaron also ate a few farfetch'd eggs, finding them richer than the standard chicken eggs he was used to back home. The two were interrupted from their repast when Fable's ears twitched upward and his whiskers began to shake.

"Hey, boss, we're not alone," he said.

"We're in a forest, Fable. I doubt we're ever really alone here," Aaron replied drily.

"I know that, I'm saying they're coming here. I can hear them moving."

Aaron quietly reached for the gun on his holster. "Fair, after the venipede fiasco, I don't want to take any chances." He put down his fork and moved his other hand to the knife attached to his right boot. Fable didn't seem terribly worried, so it was unlikely to be a major predator, but venipede weren't exactly an imposing size either and a swarm almost did them in. "Where is it?"

"Behind you; I think your eight 'o' clock."

Aaron turned and dropping the knife, summoned his pistol from the inventory with one smooth motion. He aimed roughly two feet higher than where his own head would be should he be standing, and fired one round. Even with the suppressor, the sound of igniting gunpowder rang throughout the forest. "Please come out or I will begin shooting to kill. Whether human or pokemon, I am fully aware that you understand me so understand that I am not in the mood," he threatened with bravado he did not truly feel. At the end of the day, Aaron was a graduate student and studying terrorism was a far cry from combating it on the ground.

A quiet rustle and yip followed before the bushes parted to reveal a small kitten. The animal was a dark brown with lighter patches of fur near its feet, ears, and tip of its tail. Its red nose and fur on the crown of its head stood out like beacons on its otherwise drab appearance and gave Aaron the information he needed. 'Litleo then. If I remember right, a fire and normal type that evolves into a fairly strong pokemon. I wonder what the dex has to say about this guy.' "Fable, get ready to battle. I'm afraid there might be a full pack around or something."

"Knowing our luck, I wouldn't be surprised, but I don't hear or smell anything else."

 **Litleo: The lion cub pokemon is very combative by nature. The parents watch over this pokemon until about eight months of age in order to prevent its own aggressive nature from getting it killed too quickly. When it reaches adolescence, it is forcibly expelled from the pride to make its own way. It will join a pride upon evolution. A male litleo on the cusp of evolution will find that its crimson crest spreads to the sides of its neck, starting the foundations for the brilliant mane male pyroar are known for. A female litleo's crest elongates.**

"Ok, so it sounds like we're not going to be picking a fight with an apex predator anytime soon. Fable, we're catching it!"

"Alright! Let's battle you overgrown pussy!"

At the call to battle, the small lion gave a cute growl before standing at attention in an attempt to intimidate the rabbit. 'Hunting instincts or not, there is something funny about a kitten trying to intimidate a rabbit, and fail miserably,' Aaron thought with amusement.

The battle began when Aaron gave Fable a quick nod. Activating Agility, the bunnelby dashed in a zigzag pattern towards his target. The litleo countered with a flurry of cinders that the two recognized as ember, causing Fable to dash away.

"Fable, dash straight!" His partner obeyed and Aaron waited until he could see the distinct sparks gathering on the litleo's nose. "Now, use Quick Attack and slant right!" The litleo was unprepared for Fable's sudden increase in speed and missed the ember. Why should it? Fable was already using Agility after all. The opening gave Fable enough time to land a brutal uppercut to the kitten's lower jaw, sending it sailing with a pained yowl.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" an angry voice demanded. She dashed out of the bushes and returned the litleo, giving the two a withering glower.

"Uh…"

"What the hell is wrong with you? First you shoot at my pokemon then you have your psychotic rabbit attack him?"

Aaron took a good look at the extremely irate woman and noticed the familiar altaria-print pants and brunette hair. "Sophie?" he asked. The girl before him was roughly sixteen, with brown hair that fell to mid back and large, honey-brown eyes.

She stopped her tirade momentarily at the sound of her name, but scowled when she recognized the man before her. "Aaron, right? Why were you attacking my pokemon?"

"Ah hahaha… sorry? At first, I just fired as a warning shot, but when I saw the litleo, I wanted to catch it. I swear I didn't know it was yours."

"He. The litleo is a he and her name is Corona."

"Do you also have a pokemon named Coors? Or Bud?"

"Actually, my brother named his altaria Coors. How did you know?"

Aaron's palm met his face with a loud smack. "I give up on this world."

"You're strange," she said as she backed away slowly. "Anyway, I want compensation." She held her hand out expectantly.

"For what?"

"For attacking my pokemon without asking for a battle of course. That's considered assault, you know," she said, lecturing as if he were a child.

Aaron developed an inexplicable need to irritate her, to drive her to pull her hair out by the roots, but in the end, he sighed and acquiesced. "Fine, I don't have much money, but how about I share some lunch with you?" He pointed to the pair's half-eaten lunch and Sophie's stomach growled in response. Sure, he had over 800 Credits, but he felt no need to advertise.

"But you have to feed all my pokemon," she sang with glee.

"If you have a snorlax or something, the deal's off."

"I don't, I promise," she said with a laugh. She threw three balls into the air. Out of three crimson lights, pokemon Aaron recognized as a swablu, mienfoo, and the litleo Fable had been pounding on materialized. "Meet Shiner, Yuengling, and you already know Corona."

'Her pokemon names… I don't know if I want to cry or hug her and ask her to marry me. I doubt she even knows what they are in my world.' "They're… some interesting naming choices." Aaron turned to the litleo. "Sorry about that, buddy. I thought you were a wild pokemon looking for a fight," he apologized.

"You're scary," the kitten whimpered before hiding behind his trainer.

"Hey, bub, get away from my cat," Sophie frowned, her arms crossed over her chest.

Aaron backed away with both palms raised in surrender. "I just wanted to say sorry."

"Well, you have, so just feed my pokemon and leave the cub alone."

"Fine, fine, stingy woman," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Stop repeating yourself!"

"Yes, yes!" Aaron yelled as he reached into his inventory and threw a random berry at each of the three new pokemon. He prepared another bowl of salad like his own and thrust it towards a gaping Sophie. "Here."

"H-how did you do that?"

"What the hell are you mumbling about now?"

"You just pulled food out of thin air!"

Aaron made to shout back, but froze. 'Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!' "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"You pulled food out of thin air," she repeated with a deadpan face.

"You're crazy. Do you want to lie down? Shall I get you a drink of water?"

"Ugh, you know what, fine. You can call it whatever you want, but I know what I saw." She took her bowl of salad and aggressively chomped down on a forkful of defenseless greens. "I'm watching you."

"I have no idea why you want to hide your power, but even I don't think that worked," Fable said as he took an idle bite out of his portion.

"Shut it, Fable." 'I guess denial's the name of the game.'

"So…" Sophie began again, clearly trying to find a new topic of conversation, "Where are you headed?"

"Seriously? Route 5 only heads to Camphrier."

"I mean after that, genius."

"Anyone ever tell you that you're too uptight?"

"Hmph, you sound like my brother."

"He must be a wise man," he said with a crooked smile.

"He's a massive goofball. He has a masquerain named Dry Fly. Who the hell does that?"

"Pffftttt hahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

"What? Why are you laughing?" She paused in thought. "My brother's talonflame's name is Fireball." She frowned as Aaron burst out laughing even harder. "Ok, seriously, I know Fireball and Dry Fly are a bit tacky, but it's not _that_ funny."

"Y-you don't understand," he gasped out between breaths. "It's fucking hilarious."

"Whatever."

Aaron took a moment to calm down. "Ok, yeah, it wasn't very nice to laugh at a joke only I understand. Back to your question, I don't really have a plan. I'll visit Camphrier briefly then move on to Cyllage through the Connecting Cave for the badge."

"Wait, you've got to be my brother's age. How do you not have Grant's badge yet?"

"I started late. By late, I mean about a week ago. And even that week I spent in Lumiose City limits training Fable here."

"Oooh, you're one of those late bloomers. I've heard of your kind but never actually met one," she said.

"Can you not talk about me like I'm some exotic species?"

"Hehe, I'm just joking. Do you plan on taking the entire circuit or joining the Ranger Corps? I guess you could do both, but most do one or the other."

"I'll take the circuit, though I don't really have any designs on Diantha's crown. The princess can keep her tiara as far as I'm concerned."

"Pfft, you act like you have a shot."

Aaron stared meaningfully at his hand, then his food. "I have a better chance than most."

"Ok, seriously, what the hell was that?"

He stared back at her with an innocent smile. "What was what?"

She threw her head back and screamed. "You are so frustrating!"

"Heh, this is fun."

"Boss, don't you think you're having too much fun with her?"

"Of course not, my good bunny, I think I am having the appropriate amount of fun with her."

"Oh, and he even thinks he understands pokemon," she muttered, "Just great, the one person I find on this route that isn't some idiot with a bug catching net is schizophrenic."

"Hey, you take that back," the pair shouted.

"You know what? I'm going to let that slide because I'm obviously more mature than you are. As the legal adult, it is my duty to guide childish souls," Aaron said sagely. Sophie snorted in a most unladylike fashion. "What are your plans? You seemed to be having fun skating around back there yesterday."

Her spirits fell. "Yeah, I was. My dad's the foremost contractor for the skate park. He basically designed and got the people to build it. I love it of course, but now, the gym leader of Shalour wants my dad to build her city one too. Or at the very least, update her gym. I'm carrying over the plans as the errand girl."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes and no. My family would have to move and that's going to be annoying. I'll miss my friends. It's largely why I stopped training after two badges; I just didn't like the loneliness. I mean, I'm sure Korina is an amazing person, and Yuengling will get to learn a lot from her, but still…"

"I see. Why are you the one playing errand girl though? Can't your dad use the mail service?"

"He could, but I'm going to give Yuengling some more experience from a fighting type mistress."

"Ah, I understand. That must have been part of the payment."

"Yeah." Her features brightened as she polished off the last of her food. "Anyway, I'll be joining you until Shalour!"

"Wait, what?"

"Yup, I'm going to figure out how the hell you did that if it's the last thing I do."

"Did what?" Aaron returned, the picture of innocence.

"Ugh."

"You know it could have been simple sleight of hand."

"No, don't even try to pass it off as anything less than some magic mumbo jumbo. There is no reason for you to have that much food up your sleeves unless you were expecting to meet me and neither of us knew we'd run into each other again."

"She's onto you, boss. She's smarter than I thought."

"Of course Sophie's smart, you uncultured plebeian," Shiner the swablu sniffed imperiously.

"Your bird is a brat," Aaron deadpanned.

"You take that back!"

"Either way, you're not tagging along." 'It'd make training so much harder.'

"You can't stop me. It's a free route. Besides, aren't you lonely? My brother says it's good to find a travel buddy."

"Maybe that's true for most, but I'm not most people. I'd prefer to be alone please."

"Rejected."

Aaron sighed as he thought over his options. 'If she comes along, I won't be able to train as freely. The girl's as curious as a crow. But… why?' His thoughts wandered along a vicious direction and he couldn't help but give Sophie an unnerving smile. "I could be some creepy pervert, you know."

"No pervert would announce that he's a pervert, especially when a beautiful girl like myself asks to join him on his trip."

"Careful, I wouldn't want you to catch a bad case of humility," he replied drily. She gave him a charming smile that turned into shock when he summoned another berry and tossed it into her mouth. It was small, red, cured paralyzed pokemon, and looked suspiciously like a cherry.

"Arrggggg, hot hot hot hot hot! That's awful! What the hell? Give me some water, you ass!"

"Marksmanship for the win!" he shouted victoriously. After a good minute of gloating, he finally summoned a single-serving carton of miltank milk and tossed it her way. "Seriously though. If you want to join me, fine." Fable looked at him like he grew another head. "But, you don't get to question anything I can do. If I say I want my privacy, I mean it. If you try to record anything I do, I will break your camera tie you up, and leave you stuck in the woods in only your underwear." He gave her a stern glower that sent shivers down the young girl's back. "Do we understand each other?"

"Fine," she huffed, "But at least tell me what you can do."

"Nope."

"You're impossible."

"I am," he agreed easily.

X

Arguments of this type characterized much of their morning, minus the short, stupefied look Sophie had when his entire travel pack, tent and all, disappeared seemingly into his palm. She gave her his pack with what anyone would call the puppy eyes and Aaron was sorely tempted to take her bag and run away with Agility. He decided on the chivalrous route. Narrowly. To Aaron's dismay and Sophie's delight, the two had found yet another cause for contention in their short time together: puns.

"So, Aaron, it's a nice day, isn't it?" He gave a grunt. "You don't have to be so grumpy all the time. It's natu late to have a smile on your face, you know," she said with a cheeky grin and a waggle of her eyebrows.

"Sure, keep irritating the man carrying your entire food supply," he grumbled.

"Oh, come on, nothing beats an onix-pected joke every now and then."

"I swear to the old goat; I will make you suffer. Somehow, when you're least expecting it."

"So it'll be an onix-pected surprise."

"One, surprises are by definition unexpected. That's redundant. Two, you've used that pun already. You're running out of material."

She gasped in mock injury. "Me? Run out of material? You liar! I just haven't had a chance to use these puns yet. I have a list."

"Of course you do," he muttered.

"Oh, come on, I promise I'll stop if you stop being such a grump… for today…"

He gave a long-suffering sigh and turned to her. "Fine, what do you want to talk about?"

"How about we introduce ourselves?"

"We've done that already. You're Sophie, I'm Aaron."

"I know, but I don't know anything about you."

"You admit that I'm a complete stranger, but you're ok with sleeping next to me? Alone? In a forest?"

She huffed as she sent a half hearted kick towards his shin. "This again? Here, I'll start. I'm Sophie Castellan. I'm running an errand for my dad. I like my pokemon, the swablu line, corny jokes, and sweets. I don't like grumps and bug types. Or poisons for that matter… My dream… I'm not actually sure what that is yet."

Aaron gave a mental snort, 'At least she doesn't want to be hokage.' "My name is Aaron Phantomweiss. I am travelling to grow stronger. The badges are just a means to an end. I like my pokemon, mysteries, and stories about legends. I find that there is usually more than meets the eye." He could've sworn he heard four faint chuckles in the air. "I don't like corny jokes. My dream… I have a lot of those, but the most relevant one would be to become the greatest packrat of them all with champion class pokemon."

"I'd say you're well on your way with your mystery pocket thingy."

"Nope, I haven't even started."

"And what does that mean?" She sighed at the expected silence. "Of course you won't tell me anything. Will you at least verify if I'm right or not?"

"Fine, if you can guess why and how I got my powers, I'll confirm." 'Like hell that'll happen.'

"Great," she smiled radiantly at having finally worn down the enigma.

"Hey, boss, there are some footsteps up ahead. I think they're humans."

"Thanks, Fable. Sophie, don't talk about my _quirks_. There are people up ahead."

"Ok, seriously. Can you talk to pokemon?"

"Yes. So can you."

She sighed and rubbed her poor, aching head. "It's like pulling teeth with you. I meant can you understand them?"

"You understand Shiner just fine," Aaron replied with an enigmatic smile. "Now be quiet unless you want me to pretend I'm escorting my mentally impaired cousin to Shalour."

She crossed her arms and pouted as three other trainers came into view. 'Wow… one looks like the camper archetype and the other two are bug catchers. How cliché,' he mused. He'd read about the routes and their typical trainer demographic of course. Forested routes, such as Route 5, were typically filled with campers and bug catchers as well as newer trainers. Campers who both knew the area well enough and were strong enough to have a few badges often acted as escorts and guides for newer trainers, showing them the prime capture locations and leading them through the hazards of the forest. 'And oh look, we've made eye contact. We all know what's coming.'

"Hey, you two! You saw us! You must be trying to take the best bug catching spots for yourselves! I challenge you to a battle!"

'The only way this could get more cliché is if they only had caterpie on their team.' Aaron snorted as he stepped forward. "Let's think about this. First, neither Sophie nor I are in bug catching gear. We don't care all that much about bug types. In fact, I think Sophie has a mild phobia. Second, you challenged us, but do you plan on taking us both on by yourself? You never specified who you wanted to battle. Third, even if both of us battle, you have three people in your party. That obviously doesn't make sense. Be more specific! Make sure to do it in 50 words or less!" Aaron had to stop himself from giggling at his last comment. 'It's not like anyone would follow the creed of the Strongest Hero.'

The bug catcher reeled back as if struck by the sudden wave of logic. "Umm…"

The camper, a tan woman in her late twenties or early thirties, stepped up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Caleb, calm down. He's right. It wouldn't be fair if I battled since I have all eight badges, so let's just have a friendly two vs. two."

"Say," Sophie cut in. "If you have eight badges, why are you around here? Shouldn't you be training for the Victory Road or something?"

"Haha, yeah, and I am. I actually live in Camphrier and occasionally lend my services as a travel guide of sorts when my pokemon and I aren't training. I'm Jody, nice to meet you."

"Hello. I'm Sophie. The grumpy one is Aaron."

"Ok, so I'll be the referee while you two battle Caleb and Sean." The two bug catchers waved, much more subdued than Caleb's earlier greeting. "Do you want a double battle or single?"

"A single would be fine. I'll start." Aaron moved to the edge of a nearby clearing.

"Be careful, Aaron. There are two types of bug catchers: The ones experienced enough to find a type specialization like Viola and the rookies looking to make a quick buck," Sophie murmured as he passed.

"Relax, I think we both know which category they fall under," he whispered back.

Caleb stepped to the other side. "I guess I'll go first since this was my idea. May the best trainer win."

"Then you've already lost," Aaron shot back with a confident grin.

"Enough banter please. I deal with enough of that with trainers on my level. Speaking of, you're not going to suddenly pull out a dragonite or something, are you?" Jody narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she shot Aaron a wary glance.

"Huh? Oh, why do I have to keep saying this? I'm not some super high ranking ranger or anything. I don't even have a badge yet!"

"Seriously?" Caleb said, "Then I've got this in the bag. I already have Viola's."

"We'll see," Aaron smirked. "Fable, your turn."

"You literally have no other pokemon. It's _always_ my turn," the bunny snarked as he hopped off his trainer's shoulder.

Across from him, the standard crimson light filled the air. When the light show ended, the mascot of all bug types presented itself: green and beige hide, red, y-shaped crest, there could only be one. 'Of course it's a fucking caterpie.' "Do you have a metapod as well?" Aaron couldn't help but ask.

"How did you know?"

"Call it instinct," he sighed.

"Ready, go!" Jody called.

"Alright, let's get things started. Fable, Spikes. Then start charging up Agility."

"Swing!" Before the caltrops of hardened earth could spread across the ground, the caterpie attached to the branches behind Fable and swung out of reach. "Now, Bullet Web!"

"Fable, dodge."

"No shit!" he shouted back before weaving through his own spikes. "Is that even a move?"

"Not in the conventional sense, but it's something Caleb and I developed to deal with those who underestimate me because I'm a caterpie," the bug said smugly. "Pokemon like you always think you can stomp all over me because I'm a caterpie, the 'weakest bug.' FEAR MY WRATH!"

"Ok, Fable," Aaron murmured under his breath. "Twitch your left ear if you can hear me." He was rewarded with a subtle twitch of his partner's ear. "Now, the bug's a bit of a talker. This is fine. Keep him talking. Then stack up on Agility. When you can't store any more aura, use Quick Attack and bounce up the trees like we did yesterday. Disregard all further commands." Then, he cried in a louder voice. "Fable, dodge and build yourself a wall with Mud Slap!"

"That won't work," Caleb taunted. His expression grew even smugger when he realized that the bunnelby wasn't listening to his trainer. "How long have you been a trainer? Your pokemon isn't even listening."

"Ha, indeed, you lack a strong bond with your trainer," the caterpie called. "I trusted Caleb and he made me strong. If you had listened to your trainer, or perhaps if you had a competent one from the start, you would not be running in circles."

Fable grit his teeth and focused on forcing aura down into his legs for the second stack of Agility. He dodged another shot of condensed string. "You talk an awful lot for someone who hasn't hit me yet."

"Allow me to rectify that mistake, young Fable. Know that it is I, Sparatus, the mightiest caterpie of them all, who shall defeat you!" So saying, Sparatus inhaled and launched eight balls simultaneously, two aimed directly at the rabbit while the others were launched in his immediate vicinity to prevent escape.

Fable contorted himself at the last second, receiving a painful graze as he stood on one ear. He grimaced, but managed to force the last of his strength into his legs. His legs glowed a painful blue as he offered Sparatus a menacing grin. "You said earlier that I shouldn't underestimate a caterpie. The truth is, I did. And I'm sorry. But boss didn't. You lost the moment you underestimated my trainer. Quick Attack!"

The seeming surprise on Aaron's face was replaced by a cold smirk that sent chills down Caleb's spine. Fable simply vanished. There was no blur, no mirage. He was there one moment, and then he was not, as though he ceased to exist. He reappeared behind Sparatus, his ears wound back with all the frustration of that impromptu game of tag.

"EAT SHIT!" The bunnelby's ears struck the caterpie's head with a loud thump, launching the poor bug type from his perch. Caleb had enough sense of mind to withdraw his pokemon before he could collide with the needle-sharp spikes.

"Caterpie was withdrawn. It is forfeited. Aaron wins the first round. Would you like to send out another pokemon?"

"No," Aaron said.

"Yeah, I still have one more pokemon left."

"Wow, you got played, Caleb," his friend, Sean, called.

"Shut up! I still have Cyril. Go!" A metapod appeared next. It stood somewhat menacingly on its edge and did its best to glower at the offending bunnelby.

"Fable, a metapod can only learn String Shot, Tackle, Bug Bite, and Harden. It'll likely try a similar tactic. Catch the string shot, tie it up, and gag it so it can't shoot more string," Aaron whispered, though only Jody wore a knowing smile.

Sure enough, when the battle began, Cyril the metapod used a similar tactic. Rather than shooting the string at the branches, he shot a line straight towards Fable. When Fable dodged, the line hit the tree directly behind Fable and Cyril used the line in conjunction with Tackle and Harden to swing himself like a club. Fable ran to the other side of the clearing, forcing Cyril to detach and use another line. Rather than dodge completely, Fable allowed his left ear to get caught and wrapped the string around his own appendage.

"We've got you now!"

"No you don't," Aaron sighed. "Fable, swing the metapod in circles as fast as you can. Good. Now keep doing it."

"What are you doing to my pokemon?"

"I'm beating your tactic in the silliest way I can think of: by making a cocoon throw up." Eventually, Fable's ears grew tired and he was forced to stop spinning. Unfortunately for the metapod, he did so by slamming the pokemon into the dirt. "Good, now gag it," Aaron called, not even bothering to whisper anymore. Fable dashed forward and wrapped Cyril's own string around its face. "See? Your pokemon is a one trick pony. Now that I've seen your little trick with string shot, it's not that hard to beat. I'm betting you've never dealt with a pokemon strong enough to swing around your own like a yo-yo."

Jody shook her head in amusement before calling the match. "The metapod is unable to battle so Aaron and his bunnelby win. Caleb, do you have a third pokemon?"

"N-not one I can control," he said somewhat shamefully.

"Thank you for your honesty. If you brought out your scyther, I would have disqualified you and may have had to seriously hurt her before I could subdue her," she said with a smile. "In any case, Aaron wins the battle. Please offer him the appropriate amount of credits."

Caleb grumbled, but complied anyway, making Aaron a whole 150 credits richer. Seeing that battle settled, Sophie eagerly stepped into Aaron's former spot. "Good, now that Aaron's got his prize money, I can battle the next guy. Sean's your name, right?"

"Right," he nodded. "How many pokemon do you have?"

"Just three, so is three vs. three ok?"

"Can we make it a one vs. one? I only have Crown."

"Crown? That's an odd name for a bug type. Is it a vespiquen by any chance?" Aaron asked.

"Let's keep that a surprise. If it's going to be a one vs. one, it wouldn't be fair to have Sophie counter Sean's only pokemon," Jody cut in.

"Aww, you don't think he can take Sophie?"

"Don't be an ass, Aaron. I have two badges and they said they only have one."

"Relax, I'm just messing. Besides, I'm curious; how did you beat Viola with just one pokemon? I think Fable can probably pull it off, but I doubt people like me are too common."

"They're not," Jody smiled. "Usually, beginning trainers try to gain a type advantage against the first two gyms to better improve their chances. This means they typically have two or three pokemon by this time. Your bunnelby is pretty special. Then again, I suppose Huge Power is a rarity in itself."

"You recognized it? I guess the eight badges aren't just for show," he replied, mildly impressed.

"What's Huge Power?" Caleb asked.

"It's an ability that some members of the bunnelby line have. I'll explain later, but basically it makes them twice as strong as they would normally be. On a well trained bunnelby like Fable, it can be absolutely devastating, as you've found out."

"Huh, that makes me feel better. My big sister would never let me live it down if she finds out I lost to a bunnelby and a trainer without even a single badge."

"Anyway, let's get started. Is a one vs. one agreeable, Sophie?"

"Sure. I think I have just the pokemon."

"Then on the count of three, trainers, release your pokemon. One. Two. Three!"

As the crimson light dissolved, two pokemon stood on opposite sides, sizing each other up. Aaron quickly whipped out his pokedex and scanned both, eager to find out as much as he could about the pokemon.

 **Swablu: The cotton bird pokemon has always been among the more popular pokemon among coordinators thanks to its cuteness, grace, and extensive movepool. It was made even more desirable by the iconic duo, Lisia and Ali, the darlings of Hoenn. While they make excellent pets, they can also be potent fighters. In the wild, it is not uncommon to find flocks of dozens singing in chorus, putting entire swaths of forests to sleep. This allows them to comb the entire forest for food with little retaliation, presenting quite the environmental hazard for trainers and potentially distorting entire ecosystems. Although altaria are among the few nonaggressive dragons, they have been known to launch devastating Sky Attacks in defense of their flock. Trainers looking to add a swablu to their teams should beware; "passive" and "friendly" are not synonymous with "weak."**

 **Larvesta: Larvesta are living torches, plain and simple. The five "horns" around its neck can ignite to allow for some devastating tackles. Many trainers consider it the king of bug types and its evolution, volcarona, has been made wildly popular by Champion Alder of Unova, the longest reigning champion in history. Like many fire types, it is extremely temperamental and is notoriously difficult to train. Some would argue that it is even more volatile than the bagon line. It only follows "worthy" trainers, though what those standards are seem to differ wildly among individuals of the species. If the trainer is found "unworthy" by whatever its measure, larvesta have been known to set their trainers on fire, leaving naught more than crumbling husks.**

"Holy shit, that bug is hard core."

"Yes, Crown is proud, but he definitely lives up to the name. He beat Viola alone after all," Sean said proudly.

"Careful," Caleb called, "The swablu has a type advantage."

"So? Viola's surskit also had a type advantage and is probably faster than the puff ball," he said proudly. "I think we'll be fine, right, Crown?"

"Of course, I am a child of the sun. I cannot lose to poultry."

'Talk about cocky. Say, Arceus, is that actually true? Volcarona are called "sun" pokemon, but are they actually descendants of Solgaleo? I mean, that'd be a bit illogical, but with pokemon… who knows?"

 **No, of course not, it would be more accurate to say that they harbor a fragment of the same power I used to create the sun. They will never be Solgaleo's equal; I charged him and Lunala with maintaining the balance of days and seasons after all. Volcarona, while powerful, cannot alter the world's very atmosphere like my two children can.**

'Huh, good to know. I'm not sure how I'd feel about some guy having control over the power of the sun.' He paused to consider what he just read then immediately paled. 'Does that mean every volcarona represents a fragment of the Flame Plate?'

 **For your deductive reasoning, you have gained 1 Wisdom.**

'Oh, fuck. I definitely want a volcarona now. That also means other pokemon must represent fragments as well, right? If I had to guess, they should be the legendaries, maybe what I know as the pseudo legends, and some of the rarer species like volcarona.'

 **Very good,** Arceus' script looked distinctly pleased, the font altering itself slightly to Comic Sans. **Have a major quest for your trouble.**

 **Quest: Legends Among Us**

 **Details: Find and collect the Remnants of Arceus.**

 **Objectives**

 **\- Find all 18 Plates.**

 **\- Defeat an "Avatar" of each type.**

 **Bonus Objectives**

 **\- Obtain the Jewel of Life.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- 1,000 Exp per each Plate.**

 **\- Unique rewards for each Plate acquired.**

 **\- Gain title "Will of Legends" upon full completion.**

 **Bonus Rewards**

 **\- You get the Jewel of Life. What more do you want?**

 **Failure**

 **\- NA, this quest is strictly voluntary.**

Aaron would look back and fully admit that he spent the next minute gaping like a magikarp. No shame. 'A-are you sure, Arceus? You're offering me the Jewel of Life?'

 **No, I am offering you the chance to** _ **earn**_ **the Jewel of Life. If you can collect the Meadow, Earth, Splash, Zap, and Draco Plates, then figure out how to forge them into the Jewel, it is yours to keep. Do you presume it would be so easy?**

'Well, no. I don't even know where they are. I memorized where the mega stones were because they were relevant to competitive play in my old world, but the Plates were just a whole lot of flavor text that didn't matter too much, no offense.'

 **Then you had better get started, young one. Speaking of which, you should at least watch your friend's battle. You are being rude.**

Aaron's attention turned back to the battle and he was mildly embarrassed to find that the two had started without him. Much like his friend before him, Sean used String Shot for maneuverability. Crown was lodged onto a branch, doing his best to avoid Shiner's Pecks.

"Enough, Ember Cloak!"

Crown responded by igniting the red crests around its neck and vibrating vigorously. While he was too slow to hit Shiner directly, he did manage to cover himself in a coat of cinders, making a directly approach more costly. As soon as Shiner balked, Crown seized his chance and shot out with an Ember, singing the avian pokemon's wing.

"Shiner, get some distance. Use Mist!" A thick mist filled the clearing as the swablu flew off. "Roost!"

Aaron was grateful for his Dexterity and Marksmanship, and the enhanced vision that naturally followed. He couldn't be completely sure, but he could have sworn the larvesta's Ember Cloak was much brighter before. 'The moisture must be dampening it,' he realized. "Fable," he whispered, "Pay attention; it's a good chance to learn a different battle style. The swablu probably has the Natural Cure ability. It's using Roost and waiting for Natural Cure to kick in so it can get rid of the burn. Then, it'll use Sing to either outright take out the larvesta or make it drowsy enough that it can't retaliate."

Sure enough, Sophie's command to Sing came shortly after. As the haunting melody filled the clearing, Aaron clamped his hands over Fable's ears while putting in his own sound dampeners. He had originally gotten the earmuffs for his gun, but this worked just as well. He looked over and saw Jody wear something similar while Sophie just hummed along. 'Must be a desensitization thing.' The two bug catchers were less fortunate. They immediately began to sway drowsily and Sophie did not hesitate to take advantage of the opportunity.

"Shiner, Agility then Peck!"

The mist cleared to reveal Crown barely hanging on to the branch with a fresh gash across its hide. Thick brown ichor leaked from the wound as he was startled from his forced sleep.

"Crown is unable to -"

"No he's not!" Sean interrupted.

Jody frowned as she looked at the young boy. "Any more damage could cause serious harm to your larvesta, Sean. It would be considered abuse if I let this continue."

"Then I am happy to say you're wrong," he said with a grin. "Crown, recovery protocol."

"Understood," the larvesta croaked out. He then bit into the tree as his crests began to glow a soft gold.

"Hey, boss, what's the bug doing?" Fable whispered from Aaron's shoulder.

"He's using Morning Sun for sure, that's why his crests are glowing, from the sunlight. I'm not sure why he bit the tree thou…" Realization struck him like lightning and he couldn't help but blurt out, "Holy shit, is he using Absorb on the tree?"

"You're really smart; I don't think I've ever seen anyone get that so quickly," Sean smirked.

"Shiner, don't let him go any further! Pick him up and fly!" Sophie cried in alarm.

Shiner obeyed, but immediately fell short as Crown wrapped them both in a cocoon. "Crown, burn!" Sean called. The two pokemon literally fell to the grown in a flaming wreck, Shiner badly scorched from the ordeal and the larvesta faring only a little better. Nonetheless, Crown stood up shakily as he drew energy from using Absorb on the swablu.

"My mistake, the swablu is unable to battle. I didn't think it'd happen, but Sean and Crown are the winners!"

"Damn, that was onix-pected," Sophie tried to joke, though it came out a bit flat. "You were great, Shiner." She returned the swablu as she turned to Sean. "Your larvesta is something. I see why so many people want the species now."

"Yeah, seriously. I didn't think you could use Morning Sun and Absorb simultaneously. Or even use Absorb on a tree for that matter," Aaron admitted.

"You figured out what was going on with one look though." Sean pocketed Sophie's money and carried Crown to a nearby tree.

"Great battle, you all," Jody smiled. "I didn't expect the battles to be that much fun given your low levels, but you all used some really creative strategies." She spoke to Sophie and Caleb, "Do you two know why you lost?"

"It's because he cheated," Caleb grumbled.

"Lies," Aaron grinned, not at all offended. "While underhanded, it's not considered cheating to mislead your opponent. It's par for the course in any conflict. As long as I can make you think, 'There's no way he can do this,' I will win."

"He's right," Jody said gently. "Misdirection is usually something dark, ghost, psychic, and poison type specialists do, but it's not unusual for other experienced trainers to do it anyway. It does surprise me a bit that you thought of a way to use Fable's naturally excellent hearing to your advantage however. That sort of thing is more common among more experienced trainers."

"Yeah, I'm just frustrated," Caleb said, "I think I could have won if I brought out Slicer."

"Who?"

"My scyther. She's a bit volatile and I can't control her very well, though. It's just frustrating because I can be so much stronger if she'd only cooperate," he said as he kicked the dirt.

"Maybe that's the problem," Aaron pointed out. "You're focused on getting stronger, and that's fine, but it sounds like you expect your scyther to cooperate with you, as though you are entitled to it. I won't lie, having a bunnelby as my starter wasn't exactly my idea. Sure, we patched things up and decided to work with each other rather quickly, but I was really hoping for a regional starter like froakie or a species that isn't so common." He received a harsh cuff on his ear for his trouble but ignored the bunny. "Look, my point is, you are no more entitled to your scyther's obedience than I was to receive a 'cool' starter."

"He's right," Jody said, "When my haxorus evolved, I actually had a similar problem. I still have the scar to prove it." She lifted her shirt, not enough to offer them a show, but enough for them to get a nice peak of her toned stomach, and the massive gash that ran through her belly button. The scar was pale and jagged, having long since healed over, but was still a foot long, indicative of a much larger wound at one time. "Enough checking me out," she teased to lighten the mood, "I'm hot, but you're all a bit young for me." She brought her shirt down.

"H-how did you get your haxorus to listen to you?" Caleb stuttered, half in embarrassment for getting caught and half in awe of the veteran trainer's scars.

"I didn't," she said remorsefully. "I was so upset, and terrified, that I couldn't carry on. I read that pokemon can get high off their power after evolution, and that dragons were the most likely culprits, but I didn't expect this. It was shortly after my sixth badge and I was so proud of myself. It normally takes most trainers a lot longer before they can get a final form dragon and I felt like I was on top of the world. This just brought every sense of accomplishment I had crashing down. I didn't know what to do and ended up releasing him."

"Wait, two years ago, there was a story in the news about a rampaging haxorus in the Vallée Étroite Way. Was that yours?"

Jody's body visibly slumped. "Yes. My haxorus, Garen, went mad, killed three trainers, and was ultimately put down by rangers. Because I was a promising trainer, I didn't get my license revoked, but I paid a hefty fine and worked for six years as a ranger to atone."

"And that makes it better?" Sophie demanded.

"No, of course not. When my stint as a ranger ended, I won my eighth badge, but the sense of accomplishment I got when I beat Olympia just wasn't there anymore. I retired back to Camphrier, where I help the rangers when asked and offer advice to newer trainers when I can." She gave Caleb a bittersweet smile. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't be like me. You and Slicer can still make things right if you put in the effort to understand one another. I recommend that you find yourself a psychic who will translate for your pokemon and have a heart to heart."

"Y-yes, ma'am," Caleb swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Good, I'm glad my story helped someone. Now, Sophie, do you know why you lost to Sean?"

"I… I guess because I didn't know what larvesta were capable of?"

"Yes, but it's more than that. Sean was able to make excellent use of strategy, going as far as to coin his own techniques like Ember Cloak. You, while you did great, also followed a very predictable course of action. In fact, if I heard his mumbling right, Aaron was telling Fable what you were going to do before you did it."

"Eh? I'm not that predictable, am I?"

"Well…" Aaron said with a sheepish smile, "I'm not most people."

"Perhaps, but as you get better and meet stronger opponents, you will find that more and more people develop their own techniques. The standard moves like Flamethrower are good for teaching pokemon the capabilities of their own bodies, but custom techniques can be far more useful. For one, having code words for certain courses of actions can throw off your opponents. Second, learning to perform multiple moves simultaneously, such as Crown's Absorb and Morning Sun, can help teach your pokemon discipline and push the boundaries of their capabilities. Finally, custom moves help to streamline a trainer's individual style. Fun fact: A move can become an 'official' move if a TM company offers to create one for you, or it is taught to enough people by a master that it becomes well recognized in competitions. Key examples of the latter are Blast Burn, Frenzy Plant, and Hydro Cannon."

"I see, maybe I'll think of some unique tactics," Sophie said. "Would you help me, Aaron? You seem like the strategic sort."

"Sure, but only if it doesn't interfere with my own training," he said. He gave a mental sigh in relief; he wasn't sure how to deal with the heavy topics before. He also made sure to note that he could make and sell moves. After all, he was in a unique position to do so. 'Speaking of selling,' he thought. "Hey, Sean."

"Yes?"

"Watching you battle makes me want to raise a larvesta of my own. Is there any way you could tell me where you got Crown?"

"My family breeds them," he said proudly, "My family ranch is the only one in Kalos licensed to breed larvesta. Even we don't have more than a handful of eggs at a time due to how long their life cycles are compared to other bug types. We're heavily subsidized by the League and I think most of our eggs go to them. We can reserve one, but only for some very special circumstances."

"I see, in that case, can I get your card?"

"Sure. If you ever get strong enough to warrant a larvesta egg, you give us a call. You could try flying to Unova and looking in a volcano or something, but we're much less likely to roast you alive," he said with a grin as he inputted his contact information into Aaron's pokedex.

Aaron was about to thank them and move on, but he thought of another idea. "Hey, Jody, have you ever taken bounties for pokemon?"

"Yes, I wish we didn't have to, but sometimes rangers assign bounties to pokemon that disturb the ecosystem or are otherwise hazardous to travelers."

"Do you know if venipede are considered dangerous?"

"If I remember right, they're considered moderately dangerous, meaning only trainers with three badges or more are recommended to travel in areas with venipede sightings," Sean cut in.

"So, what happens if you kill one?"

"Nothing, they are considered an invasive species from Unova much like yourself."

"Har har, laugh it up," Aaron grumbled. "Is my accent that obvious?"

"Yes," came the unanimous response.

"Anyway, if you can document a kill, you can turn them into bounty offices. Their venom sacks can be extracted for medicines and their chitin exoskeletons are supposed to be popular in herbal remedies. They're fairly dangerous though. I don't recommend you go after them quite yet," Jody advised.

"Ok, how much are they worth?"

"Didn't you just hear me?"

"I know, just for curiosity's sake."

"If you must know, 80 credits apiece, so long as that venipede isn't yours or anyone else's."

"Thanks, I think I'm about ready to keep traveling. How about you, Sophie?"

"Yeah, it's been great, you three."

 **Omake: The Professor's Lessons: Day 2, Part 2: Burn and Ice Heals**

Augustine Sycamore, the foremost expert on mega evolution and hair gel in the pokemon world, sat at his desk reading over one of his students' theses when Aaron burst in panting. "Sorry, Augustine," the younger man said between deep breaths. "I was running an errand for one of the pokemon center's nurses."

"I understand. I too was a young man once after all," the professor said with a sly smile. He set aside his paper and stood, moving to one of the many whiteboards in the office. He had them brought in for impromptu brainstorming, but they worked just as well for this class of one.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Aaron huffed. "What are we talking about today?"

"Well, take a guess. We covered potions, antidotes, awakenings, and paralyze heals. What else is there?"

"Burn and ice heals," Aaron breathed out. "Do we really need to cover ice heals though? They're the least used items, right?"

"Correction, they are the least distributed of the recovery items, but in the right environment, they are constantly useful. Since you intend to travel to eastern Kalos someday, I'd hope you're intimately familiar with the medicine that'll keep you alive."

"Fine, I guess I'll need to know about them eventually if I want to deal with Wulfric."

"Excellent, let us begin with them then. I suggest you take notes. "Ice heals are stimulants."

"Aren't they all?"

"I wasn't finished," the professor glared crossly. "Yes, most of the medicine we use can be considered stimulants of some form, but they are the same only in a generic sense that they stimulate some aspect of the body's natural functions. In truth, they each enhance different functions of the body: antidotes work on the immune system, paralyze heals work on the nerves, and potions work on your body's natural healing factor and cell duplication. It's not that simple, but this is all a trainer in the field needs to know. Now, if you're done asking inane questions, ice heals are stimulants that bring the body's internal temperature back to homeostasis."

"How does that work? I guess it could speed up heart rate and blood flow, but that wouldn't be enough to keep someone from dying…"

"Correct. If that was all it did, then soldiers would use it as combat enhancements rather than medicine to stave off frostbite. The first ice heals were primitive potions made in Johto. The key ingredient is fluid derived from slugma and magcargo trails. Turns out, these fluids stimulate the part of the hypothalamus that regulates temperature. Basically, it causes the release of hormones that maintain homeostasis and force the body to go into overdrive: the heart begins to beat more quickly, blood vessels contract to increase blood pressure, hairs stand on end to preserve as much body heat as possible, and more. Today, this is mixed in part with medicine that slows down some of the body's other processes in order to preserve as much energy as possible. For example, it is not unusual for mountain climbers who take ice heal to report a loss of their senses of taste and smell."

"That's a lot to take in. Isn't such a rapid change bad for the body?"

"It is, which is why ice heals contain trace amounts of potions to help your body withstand the strain. The method of administration is also different." Augustine took out what looked like a pale blue tube. He flicked a switch and a long, hypodermic needle shot out of one end. "Sometimes, pokemon who have been subjected to powerful ice attacks will be encased in ice, making ice heals difficult to inject into their system. Or, they could just have thick skin, like rhydon. Either way, ice heals come in these specially made syringes with slots that can fit needles of different length. They also vibrate and release heat to dig through the ice as quickly as possible."

"Cool."

"Very. It's also available only to rangers and people who are qualified to travel through specific areas, such as the forest surrounding Snowbelle City."

"I'll try to remember that. Are burn heals this complicated?"

"No, thankfully not, burn heals are relatively simple. They were first made with oils from wooper and quagsire that soothe the inflamed area and numb the pain. Of course, they contain potions to help restore the lost tissue."

"Johto again?"

"Yes, that's why they are named so similarly and why they are often paired together in lectures such as this. Anyway, I believe we can afford to end early today."

"Can we finally move on from medicines or are you going to continue with every unique berry juice too?"

"Watch it, or I just might."

 **Author's Note**

 **I'm working under the assumption that there are more edible plants than berries found in-game. Pokemon may be the only creatures out there, but I don't see why carrots wouldn't exist in that world.**

 **Ha, I bet you didn't see his first hostile encounter with wild pokemon ending that way. I won't lie; I actually considered adding a Speed Boost scolipede to the team. Aaron acquired 2136 EXP from the horde encounter. How? He faced 24 venipede, each averaged at about level 12. Wild pokemon offer significantly less EXP than trained pokemon so he only obtained 89 EXP per kill. During his battles at Café Popote, he gained half the EXP from Fable's victories. This time however, it was all Aaron. If he shared with Fable, by having him tap each venipede or something, he would have obtained only 44 EXP per venipede killed. While unorthodox, he did kill an entire horde by himself and gained 89 x 24 EXP, or 2136.**

 **So… Sophie will be a recurring character, as will some others. And yes, her pokemon are named after beer brands in our world. No, they don't exist in hers. It's just a random coincidence that an underage girl just happens to name her pokemon only after beer brands. Or the writer is just weird that way.**

 **As always, constructive feedback is appreciated.**

 **Pat reon Sorre**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: On the Road Again~**

Aaron's feet glided smoothly through the clearing. He made sure to keep them roughly shoulder-width apart, sliding with knees slightly bent to optimize balance and reach. His hands flowed gently from one form to the next, first imitating an arbok, then an arcanine, a scyther, and finally a taurus. By his feet, both Fable and Yuengling, Sophie's mienfoo, copied him in synchrony. Over the past two days, he had grown somewhat accustomed to his initially unwanted companion and she had ceased her incessant questions about his "superpowers." Were he honest with himself, he would admit that having a fighting type to practice forms with was a godsend, especially one that had a natural affinity for the more technique-oriented martial arts.

 **Self Defense has leveled up to level 9!**

He couldn't suppress his grin. Having another practice buddy helped him to both see his own flaws in his companions' stances and hold himself accountable to a preset schedule. 'I'm going to have to get in fights if I want to level skills more easily though,' he thought ruefully. "I think that's enough for this morning. We'll pick it up again after we stop for the night."

"Good. I don't know why you're making me learn these stances with you, boss. It's not like I use my hands," Fable grumbled.

"You can never have too much training," Yuengling said with his nose turned up. "You may be strong, but power without technique is meaningless. It lacks direction."

"I'll show you direction when I send you flying," the bunny growled.

"Enough from you both," Aaron chided. "Fable, I'm having you learn because having ingrained forms and stances will help you react more quickly in the heat of battle. You've never faced an opponent who could match you strength for strength so you're getting a tad overconfident. If ever you are against a stronger opponent, or you are evenly matched, technique will be the difference between winning and losing."

"Ugh, fine. I'll work on it."

Towards the center of the grove, next to their burnt out campfire, Sophie began to stir, her sleeping bag twitching up to reveal a yawning face. Her hair draped lightly over her eyes and she gave a cute sneeze as she sat up. "What time is it?" she mumbled.

"7:30 or so, glad you decided to wake up, Soph," Aaron answered drily.

"Mmhm, where's breakfast?"

"Why would I cook for you?"

"Because you love me?" she asked, quivering lips and wide eyes all.

"Nah, you're not cute enough to pull that off."

"Umm… because you are going to cook for yourself anyway and you are a good person?"

"Oh? And what would you be doing in the meantime, princess?"

"It's about time you recognize my royal person," she sniffed.

"… no."

"Hey, there is no Shaymin acknowledging the truth," she said with a teasing grin.

"Please, stop. I'll cook for you; just stop making those god awful puns."

She thrust a fist into the air, "I am Victini-ous!"

Aaron sighed as he tossed some berries to each of the gathered pokemon. He restarted the fire and began boiling water in a pot. After bringing the water to a simmer, he set it down next to the fire and tossed in four cracked eggs to poach. He quickly withdrew two slices of toast and some jam. After allowing the eggs to cook for four minutes, he plated the food with practiced ease and handed one off to Sophie.

"Isn't it weird to eat sweets with poached eggs?" she said as she poked the toast.

"Then don't eat it. I don't really feel like trying anything fancy for breakfast. I might try a pasta bake for dinner or something, but not now."

"I'm not complaining, this is better than Morgan's."

"Your brother, right?"

"Yup, Captain Morgan of the Kalos Ranger Corps." Aaron had a coughing fit as his food went down the wrong pipe. "What's wrong with you?"

"Sorry, some food just went in my lungs," he said with a snigger.

"Ok, but yeah, you're actually a better chef than he is. I love him to death, but the man can burn water."

'But my Cooking is only level 4… Just how bad is he?' he wondered.

Over the past two days, they fell into an easy schedule. Aaron would train with Fable in the mornings before Sophie woke up. They would sometimes be joined by Yuengling. After breakfast, Aaron would shove everything into his inventory, grateful that anything put in would be in the same state when it came out. He abused this fact mercilessly to make cleaning up easier. After all, if the camp emerged as he placed it initially, then the only thing that needed to be done in the evenings was to stake the tents into the ground again. The two would begin moving at a brisk pace then, slowing occasionally to allow Sophie's relatively poor stamina to recover. They would stop for lunch, during which time Sophie would try her own turn at cooking. Aaron would drive himself and Fable into the dirt for the next two hours. Sophie happily watched and made snarky remarks about his Spartan training regimen. No matter her snark, Aaron was happy to note that she did put some time into training with her three pokemon. Following a quick rest, the group would travel on until sunset, when Aaron would make dinner, train a skill, then go to bed. He was satisfied with this arrangement as it allowed him to level his skills, get in some exercise, and practice Fable's more conventional attacks. In two days, Wilderness Survival had leveled twice, granting him another two points into Dexterity, Vitality, and Wisdom.

"Say, we should be able to reach Camphrier in four more days, right?" Sophie broke his musing.

"Yeah, according to the pokedex, it takes about a week to get there from Lumiose."

"Great, I could use a bath."

"Agreed, let's stop for lunch here. What're you planning on making for lunch?"

"I don't wa-"

"Nope, you're cooking. I made breakfast."

"Fine, I'm just going to make a sandwich."

Aaron grunted and tossed her a bag of ground taurus meat. "Then make me a burger please. There should be enough for our pokemon as well. Here are the veggies."

"Ok. Magic me a pan. And a stove." A portable gas stove appeared along with a frying pan. "And a cutting board."

"Demanding."

"Do you want to eat?"

After seeing to all her demands, Aaron nudged Fable into the woods. He and Sophie had spent the days of travel admiring the woods and talking about meaningless trifles. At this point, he had well and truly run out of the topics of niceties he had mastered in his time in Washington: history, profession, family, hobbies, ambitions, likes, dislikes, etc. He had begun strategizing, developing tactics and training regimens for himself and his partner in an effort to avoid the awkward silence.

The pokedex was his initial source of guidance, but that was quickly exhausted. According to the dex, the best thing to do while training a bunnelby, or any pre-evolution, was to prepare for that species' final form. In the case of the bunnelby line, it was a well established truism that diggersby lost a lot of speed and agility in favor of strength and endurance. The dex advised trainers to work on speed rather than strength to minimize the agility drop post-evolution. Fortunately for him, Aaron had already been doing that, primarily because Agility was Fable's single most useful skill. That still left him feeling dissatisfied however. While bunnelby were not ground types like their evolution, he figured that the sooner Fable could learn to manipulate ground type energy, the better he'll be when he finally evolves. Unfortunately, the dex had little beyond Mud Slap and Mud Shot. Aaron wanted Fable to be a miniature castle… if castles could outrun cars, punch through steel, and mold earth like Toph mother-fucking Beifong.

'Well there's an idea…'

That initial stroke of inspiration hit him a day ago and he'd been listing off all the best "earth-types" he could think of: Jura of Lamia Scale, Diane the Serpent's Envy, Toph Beifong, Gaara of the Desert, and Terra of the Teen Titans. There were more, but none he knew enough about to draw from and even among the stories of those heroes that came more easily to him, few told of how they got their powers. Gaara had a rare bloodline and the raccoon. Diane was a part of the giant clan with natural control over earth. Eventually, he figured that the best example of an earth user coming into her own was Toph and her training of Aang.

"So, what are we doing here?" Fable asked as he hopped on one foot then the other.

"You're fast."

"Yup."

"But you don't use ground type attacks enough."

"I know Spikes and Mud Slap."

"Yes, but is that enough? Diggersby are ground types so that means that they are capable of using Earthquake, harnessing geothermal energy to literally reshape tectonic plates, or at least, small portions of them. You can fling mud."

"So what? I'll get better when I evolve, right?"

"Yeah, but do you remember the bug catching guys? The caterpie kid used Bullet Web or something and the one with a larvesta had a skill called Flame Cloak. I don't want you to just be able to use cookie cutter techniques; I want you to be able to manipulate the earth like it's your own ears and adapt techniques as they suit you. If you want to be a legend, you're not allowed to be typical because typical isn't good enough. There is a man I know who can turn even loose soil into compact stone as hard as iron. Another woman could lift mountains and bring them down on her enemies' heads. A boy can create waves of sand that can bury entire villages. A blind girl can see with her feet by sensing the tremors in the earth. And you know the funny thing? Every one of them is human." 'And very much fictional, but he doesn't need to know that.'"So we're not going to teach you Earthquake or anything; we're going to get you into the mindset for manipulating earth."

"Sounds awesome, so why did I have to come out here? It's not like anything I do is too destructive, right?"

"Eh, for privacy's sake. Now, between Mud Slap and Spikes, which feels more natural to you?"

"Umm… both?"

"I mean, which do you have an easier time forming?"

"I guess Spikes… I was born with the knowledge, you know. Kind of like how even a blind baby will smile to express pleasure. It's instinctive."

"Excellent, we're going to explore the limits of that technique first to get an idea of what you can really do. Use Spikes!"

Fable hopped on both feet for a moment, his whiskers quivering in mild concentration, before clumps of earth began to levitate. The earth packed itself into a set of twelve wicket caltrops and Fable spread them across the clearing with a flick of his ears. "There, now what?"

"Now we see if it's possible to adjust these spikes. For example, if I asked you for twenty four caltrops instead of twelve, could you make them? Would they be smaller or not as sharp if you made more than twelve? Or could you just make one large spike?"

"None of that sounds very useful. What would you do with one big spike of dirt?"

"Nothing, it's not supposed to be useful. It's about control. Basically, I have no idea how those legendary figures molded earth." 'Because I have no idea if they even used aura at all, or if this universe follows the same laws.' "But, I do know one thing: When I taught myself Agility, the biggest part of it was convincing myself that I could wield aura like a pokemon. In other words, this exercise isn't meant to be effective in combat, I want you to have the mentality of an earth user."

"Whatever you say."

Fable grumbled, but began molding the clods of dirt. Spikes was an interesting technique in that it was somewhere between ground and rock in terms of typing. It was the creation of earth, but not stone. Unlike true rock, Spikes broke down easily and its relative brittleness made it less effective the longer a battle wore on.

Aaron left Fable to his exercise and hoisted a sizable log over his shoulders. 'Sophie will likely be done with lunch in half an hour, but I should at least be able to get some strength training in.' Sure enough, he was pleased to see a notification for one Strength point. He looked over to Fable and found him panting after raising a single, three feet high spike of earth. 'Quite an accomplishment for a bunny less than two feet tall,' he thought in amusement.

He walked back with Fable on his shoulder and smirked as Sophie looked away with a blush. Looking down, he saw his shirt, now drenched, clinging to his body. He may not be anywhere near as powerful as he wished he could be, but he was several times more physically fit than even dedicated athletes and it showed. He took the plate of food with a shit-eating grin and said, "Sorry to break your heart, but minors aren't my type."

"Sorry to break your heart, but old men aren't my type," she said as she stuck out her tongue. "You're older than Morgan so shut up and get changed."

"I would, but then I'd just get another shirt dirty. You'll just have to put up with your offended sensibilities for now, princess." He took a giant bite of his burger and choked on the bite of raw tamato berry. The juices of the roasted tamato berry, also sometimes called "fire that grows on trees," coated his tongue and trickled down into his esophagus, scouring his throat raw. "Gah! What the fuck, Sophie?"

He heard the classic sound effect of camera shutters closing as Sophie waved her phone with a cheeky grin. "I guess the tamato was _too-mucho_ for you, huh?"

"That was bad and you should feel bad," he said with a glower that the teen ignored with practiced ease. "I'm going to go train some more before you make me do something I'll regret."

"Like what?"

"Like throw a bug carcass at you."

"You don't ha-" she was cut off as a purple _something_ collided with her face. "Ow! What the-" It was purple, with an emerald shimmer on the bottom and had several distinct protrusions that could pass as legs… "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! YOU PSYCHOPATH, WHY THE HELL DO YOU HAVE A VENIPEDE CARCASS IN YOUR POCKET?"

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, ok, I can explain," Aaron said between gales of laughter. He surreptitiously took a picture of her face while doing his best to placate the somewhat hysteric girl. "Ok, before you joined me, Fable and I were more… liberal… with our powers and used to train by running randomly through the forest."

"…"

"We were surrounded by a venipede horde and would probably have died. You know I can speak to all species of pokemon, right?"

"Yes… that doesn't explain why you have a fresh carcass in your inventory or whatever," she glared in suspicion.

"We couldn't beat them all conventionally, so I convinced them that I had food in my inventory, which is true, and told them that they could get more from me by going in my inventory and eating all the food first."

"So you talked an entire horde of venipede into committing suicide…"

"Nope, suicide means they had a desire to kill themselves. They obviously had no idea that my inventory only preserves the status of biological matter, not the soul. In layman's terms, it can't sustain life. I didn't convince them to commit suicide; I tricked them into killing themselves."

"Semantics."

"It's an important distinction. I'm not some evil tempter, you know," he sniffed.

"Ugh… so… how many of those things are in there?"

"Other than the one you threw away? 23 more. I kept them because I read that the venom sacs can be sold for money." Aaron went to fetch the carcass as she shivered at the macabre display.

"I see… That makes sense, I suppose. I heard indigenous people in central Unova would make traditional medicine from dried pokemon remains. Maybe venipede was one ingredient. Jody did say you could sell venipede for 80 credits apiece. That said…" She lunged at him and for all of his improved strength; he couldn't catch her in time so he fell onto his back. She straddled him and punctuated each word with a punch to his chest. "You asshole, you know I hate bugs!"

 **-1 HP**

 **-1 HP**

 **-1 HP**

 **-1 HP**

 **-1 HP**

 **-1 HP**

 **-1HP**

"Ok, ok, calm down already! I'm sorry!"

"Am I even hurting you at all?"

"Not really, I heal faster than you deal damage," he shrugged.

"So I can punch you until I feel better?"

"Not if you want to get moving sometime today."

She mulled it over before nodding. "Ok, fine. One more." She gave him a charming smile and Aaron leaned back to let her. Her hand curled into a hammer fist before coming down behind her onto a rather sensitive place.

 **Critical hit! -80 HP**

X

"Hey Fable," Aaron called as he caught his breath from another round of agility drills.

"Hmm?" Said bunny held his ears against a large spike of earth. He wound back a fist and punched the spike, only for the earthen creation to instantly crumble. His ears drooped a bit as he sighed and fell onto his haunches. "What is it?"

"Any luck?"

"Nope, I can make a large spike just fine, but I can't make it stronger than sandstone. Are you sure I'm doing this right?"

"Yes, if it were easy, everyone would do it," Aaron replied with more confidence than he felt. "Maybe we're going about this the wrong way…"

"Which is what I've been trying to tell you."

"No, no, I don't mean the exercise. I mean that we should have talked about earth before you tried to control it."

"Talk about earth? Are you high? What is there to say about dirt?"

"Ok, then, if you think you know all there is to know about the earth element, then tell me the difference between rock and ground types."

"…"

"Ha."

"… Shut up…"

"I haven't just been running around, you know. I've been thinking, and the way I see it, there are three types that correspond to the earth element: ground, rock, and steel. With me so far?"

"What about grass?"

"Grass, and plants in general, are _of_ the earth, but not _earth_. It would be more appropriate to say that grass types embody the concepts of growth, change, and life rather than the earth itself."

"I'm still not seeing the point. So the three types are related, big whoop. Now what?"

"I'm getting there, shush. When people think of earth as an element, they believe it is unyielding, strong, and unchanging. They're right… compared to elements like fire and air, but that's only partially true. The earth also changes, slowly, but it does change. Mountains crumble and turn to sand; that sand gets buried and is packed into stone. The stone melts in the earth's core and becomes magma, only to rise with a new earthquake and form another mountain. Just because most of this process happens far beneath our senses doesn't mean it doesn't happen. This is what it means to be an earth elemental. An earth elemental is strong and firm, unyielding, but patient. Manipulating the earth is not about shaping rocks and dirt, not really; it's about harnessing the geothermal energies that bind our world together. And when it comes down to it, there are only three processes that drive this cycle: dispersion, condensation, and refinement. They are aspects of the same whole, but different pokemon use the earth to do different things. Ground types disperse the earth; this explains why their strongest attacks, Earthquake and Fissure, both effectively create crevices in the earth. Rock types do the opposite; they condense the earth into stone for powerful, focused blows. Steel types go a step further and remove impurities from the stone they've made, thereby refining metal. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, it's interesting. I never saw it like that… I still don't see what you're trying to teach me though."

"Well, this theory of mine also explains why rock and steel types are generally weak against ground type attacks and why steel generally trumps rock. Steel beats rock because it is a purer, more refined form of rock. In the end, it's more focused and so can pierce stone. Both are weak against what you know as ground type moves because they mimic the geological processes that break down rocks and metals."

"If you're right, why can't a strong rock type concentrate the earth so much that a ground type can't use moves like earthquake at all?"

"Why are water types strong against fire types even though a powerful enough fire type can vaporize the water type move? It's because it's easier for the water type move to extinguish fire by depriving it of oxygen than it is for the fire to completely evaporate water, especially high speed water, like Hydro Pump. Rock types generally focus on small areas of the earth while ground types focus on larger expanses. It's like your Spikes exercise. It's hard for you to condense the dirt into a small enough area that it becomes stone, but very easy to disperse it. Spikes is pretty unique in that regard: It's a ground type technique that focuses on condensation rather than dispersion, a sort of half-rock type."

"That makes no sense."

"Yeah… ignore that last bit, I'm still trying to work out why moves like Spikes and Mud Bomb require condensation but aren't considered rock types."

"Because your theory is wrong?"

'Could be, but I don't think so. At least on a general level, it's correct. The specifics though…"

"Anyway, you're saying that my species is better at dispersion than condensation, yeah?"

"Yes."

Fable jumped up and threw a clump of dirt into Aaron's face. "They why the hell are you making me do the opposite?"

"Aagh! Pppffftttt… Ew… I didn't know, ok? I only worked this out recently. Just to be sure, though… You guys can at least confirm or deny… right?" Aaron asked the sky.

 **Well done. It's much more complicated than that, but you're not entirely wrong.**

"Arceus?"

"Woah, wait what? Is your schizophrenia acting up?"

"Shut up for a bit."

 **Yes. For your deduction, take 2 Wisdom. For teaching someone else, take 1 Intelligence. For developing a training program based on the knowledge you have gained about the workings of the elements, take 1 Wisdom.**

 **Your REP with Arceus, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina has increased by 1! Your REP with Fable has increased by 3!**

"Sweet, ok, I know the Spikes exercise isn't helping as much as we'd like, so let's focus on what you are good at. Since you'll end up a ground type, let's try dispersing." Over the next few days, Aaron had him focus on trying to turn solid stone into sand and clay. Fable grumbled under his breath about "useless training exercises," but complied anyway.

X

By the time Camphrier came into view, Aaron had managed to gain a single level in Agility, Wilderness Survival, and Self Defense with two levels in cooking. Given that the time he had to practice was drastically cut short by Sophie's presence and the amount of ground they covered; he considered it his progress acceptable. Fable did manage to reduce a stone roughly the size of a brick into sand, but the endeavor still took him five minutes to accomplish. The simple truth was that bunnelby were better at scooping out and moving dirt physically with their ears than actively manipulating aura.

The town they had walked into seemed to be in full preparation for a major festival. People ordered their bird pokemon to help string multi-colored streamers along every pole and tree. Old-fashioned wagons laden with everything from carnival classics like cotton candy machines to piles of fresh meats and vegetables were congesting the already busy traffic of Camphrier. As they made their way to a hotel Jody recommended, they saw an alley full of food vendors, another for games, and an open-air theater being set up by the town's central fountain. A myriad of smells, some Aaron recognized and most he did not, assaulted the duo.

"Say, what are all the streamers? It looks like we came in the middle of a festival," Sophie said to a hotel concierge.

The man gave her a genuine smile. "You are trainers, yes? You came at a good time. A week from today is the anniversary day of our town's founding. To celebrate, we have a five-day feast."

"Sounds awesome, I wish Lumiose did something like that," Sophie sighed wistfully.

"Lumiose has a much faster pace of life than a town like Camphrier, Soph. Even if the city held something like that, a good chunk of the city's population are foreigners and so wouldn't care all that much about its history," Aaron said.

"Yeah, that doesn't mean this doesn't sound fun," she pouted.

"Well, since you two are here, you are of course free to partake in the town's festivities. The highlight is on the last night, when one of our town's citizens play some folk songs and we have a communal fireside dance."

"I'm not too big on folk songs," Aaron smiled, "thanks though."

"To be honest, neither am I," the concierge said with a wan look, "but it is tradition. The flute they use was apparently used long ago to rouse a massive snorlax and repel it from the village. Now, it's become a sign of the town's identity and a symbol of good luck and plentiful harvest."

Aaron had loved the idea of a snorlax. Back when he was a kid, it was easily his favorite among Ash's pokemon and he had looked into acquiring one mere days after arriving in Kalos. Turns out, the bears were enormous, capable of consuming several hundred kilograms of food per day, and would fall into berserk rages if they could not acquire their daily caloric intake. Because of this, only trainers who demonstrate extreme competence and wealth to the Leagues were granted the right to own one. Every last tame snorlax had taken their respective regional tournaments by storm and in the past, they had been the signature pokemon of no less than six different champions, a testament to their power that was only surpassed by the so called "pseudo-legends." 'Speaking of, I should make a note. Either kangaskhan or snorlax must be avatars of the normal type. Or maybe both?' In the wild, such pokemon required an elite four member and several squads to put down without extensive collateral damage, primarily due to their sheer size, density of their muscles, and massive deposits of fat that rendered virtually every physical attack ineffective. Aaron nodded in understanding. It was no wonder the flute became a symbol for good fortune and harvest.

"Well, thanks for that nugget of information, sir, but I think I would like to get some rest," he tipped the concierge and lightly pulled Sophie along with a parting wave. "You want to stay for the festival, don't you?" he asked her as they made their way upstairs.

She shrugged, her brown hair bouncing and exaggerating the motion. "I want to, but we really should get going. Or at least, I do. I'm on an errand after all. Dad told me to take the long way and not take a boat down the Lumiere River because he said I should get some experience traveling, but I should still try to deliver these plans as quickly as possible."

"Woah," Aaron gasped in mock shock, "Is Sophie Castellan becoming a responsible human being? What's this world coming to?"

"Oh, shut up," she groused. "I'm going to call my dad and let him know we'll be around Camphrier for at least a few days."

"Figures," he snickered. "I wouldn't mind missing most of the festival either. It's much harder to train properly where people can see me. How about we stick around for three or four days to catch the start of the festival then head out? We don't need to be here for the whole thing."

"Right," she rolled her eyes, "your superpowers."

"I would appreciate it if you don't broadcast such things," Aaron muttered crossly.

"Raichu are~" she sang, her smile gaining a few molars at his groaning. "The festival starts in two days, so what are we going to do during that time?"

"For one, I'm going to turn in a sack of venipede corpses to the nearest pokemon center I can find for my bounties. Then, I'm going to stock up on some more supplies, just in case. After that, I'm going to go off into the woods and train. Since we're not moving so much, I should be able to dedicate the entire two days to it."

"You're so boring. You're like Morgan, except he has the excuse of being military."

"Yeah, yeah, I can only deal with a snot-nosed brat for so long. Shoo," Aaron waved her off as he turned the lock to his room. He caught her sticking out her tongue and pulling her eyelid down as he closed the door.

X

"Yes, dad, I'm fine… I'm in Camphrier now… No, nothing happened on the way… except some guy shot a pistol at Corona. What? No, I swear it was an accident! He was just a bit paranoid and Corona startled him, you know how the cub gets… If Corona got injured, I wouldn't be defending the man now would I? The shot was meant as a warning. He's actually a really cool guy, reminds me a bit of Morgan. We decided to travel together until Shalour actually… What? Why would you want to meet him? No! We are not going out! He's twenty-three! That's practically ancient! Besides, if I want someone to nag me about training, I'll just give Morgan a call," Sophie grumbled into her phone. "Wait, seriously? Morgan's nearby? Yeah… I'll give him a call… He'll probably get all sulky if I leave Camphrier without seeing him. Some tough guy ranger he is… Yea, I love you too… Bye… Mwah!"

Sophie threw herself onto the bed before sighing and dialing her brother's number. It wasn't that she wasn't excited to see him again, more that he could be… excessive. She mentally braced herself and dialed his number.

"Hello? What do you want?" came her brother's gruff voice.

"Is that how you speak to your adorable sister? And here, daddy told me you were in the area so I decided to give you a call so you don't get lonely. If you don't want to talk to my awesome self, then fine," she scolded, though she couldn't quite keep the smile off her face.

"N-no! I thought you were my lieutenant. I just sent him out on routine patrol and I thought he was calling about some idiot trainer who got lost. It's good to hear from ya, Soph."

"Yes, if I were starved of my melodious voice for so long, I suppose I would feel the same way."

"And you're getting old… fast…"

"Hehe, I'm just joking. Say, do you have some time tomorrow? You can come down to the White Castle Inn and ask for me."

"What are you doing in Camphrier?"

"Dad didn't tell you? I'm delivering the building plans for Shalour's new skate park to Korrina and decided to take the scenic route."

"Be careful, southern Kalos isn't as bad as some other areas, but it can still be dangerous for someone with two badges."

"I'm traveling with someone so don't worry, Aaron's got my back."

"Oh? Your first boyfriend? I'll definitely be having a chat with him."

"Eww! He's older than you!"

"An experienced trainer then, I'm looking forward to meeting the man. I've gotta think of a way to compensate him for putting up with the pain in the rear that is you after all."

"Hmph, if that's how you want to be then fine."

"But seriously, Soph, I'm glad you've made a friend, even if he's on the older side. I should be able to join you for a day at least to grab a meal tomorrow."

"You're not going to stick around for the festival?"

"You heard about that? Yeah, I would like to, but you know how I feel about crowds and noise. Besides, I hear it might not be as good this year."

"Why? Aaron and I were thinking about sticking around for a few days to catch the start of the festival. Good food is pretty hard to come by, even if Aaron is a better chef than you."

"Oww… must you diss my culinary expertise?"

"Your 'culinary expertise' can be used as pesticide," she deadpanned.

"Anyway, the rumor is that the flute is in the possession of the viscount of Shabboneau Castle. He's refusing to give it up apparently. It's quite the problem for the town."

"That stinks, but I won't be here so, meh. It's not like anyone is going to die for it so I don't care all that much."

"Yeah, it's not really our business. I'll see you tomorrow.

X

The next morning, Aaron was mildly surprised to find another person had joined them for breakfast. "Morning, Aaron," Sophie called cheerfully, "this is the brother I've been telling you about, Morgan." She waved at a young man, roughly 22, with short, cropped brown hair and hazel eyes. His skin was tanned a deep bronze from working in the sun. He wore a navy blue shirt that could almost be taken for black with the trademark crimson jacket of the Kalos Field Rangers, their proud insignia marking his left breast. The insignia was a flower, remarkably like AZ's ultimate weapon, wreathed in antlers and surrounded by crimson wings rising up from the base. Aaron gave a mental scoff at the irony of the doom flower being the region's emblem. He also wore the red and navy beret along with a pair of heavy trousers that ended in black combat boots. On his right shoulder, Aaron could find two silver bars laid vertically, the mark of a captain.

Morgan gave him a once over before extending a hand. "Captain Morgan of the KFR, good to meet you."

Aaron shook his hand firmly, only just managing not to make a pirate joke. "Aaron Phantomweiss, formerly of the Opelucid City Watch. Likewise."

"And I'm Fable, though I suppose you don't understand me, do ya?" Fable said cheerily through a mouthful of greens.

"Cute bunnelby," Morgan absently commented as he brought a forkful of potatoes to his mouth.

"He's a handful, but he's reliable when you need the little guy."

"Glad to hear it. Say, Aaron, I've got to thank you for sticking with my pain in the rear baby sister. Are you planning on trekking with her all the way to Shalour?"

The two ignored the indignant "Hey!" from Sophie with practiced ease. "Yup, it's not much trouble. I don't even have a single badge right now, so you could even argue that she's the one escorting me. Although," Aaron gave Sophie a sly look, "she could help set camp once in awhile. That'd be much appreciated."

"Wait, you make this guy do all the chores? I taught you better, Sophie!"

"What? No! He doesn't… He does… but he uses… ARGH!"

'Heh, can't talk about my powers,' Aaron grinned smugly.

"I'm very disappointed in you. I didn't take you camping and show you the ranger basics so you could shrug them off on the first person that'll let you. It's beyond being rude! You're neglecting basic survival skills _while_ wandering through the wilds!" Morgan turned to apologize for his sister, then froze as Aaron couldn't hold in his snickers anymore.

"Pffttthahaha, you two are gold."

"You were messing with me?"

"No, I really do set up and take down the camp alone, but that's because I want to. I've got to keep those skills sharp," Aaron said with a wink that Sophie returned with a murderous glare.

"As long as you're doing it willingly…" Morgan said, but the look he sent Sophie screamed "we'll talk later."

"Anyway, are you sticking around for a while?"

"Yeah, I've been assigned to lead a small garrison nearby. We all take turns being assigned to cities and nearby routes and doing time in the deep wilds."

"Cool, so you and Sophie can catch up and enjoy the festival, at least the first few days."

"I'll miss the concluding number, but I hear it won't be as much of a problem since they'll be changing things up a bit." Morgan explained at Aaron's raised eyebrow. "You know about the flute that's supposed to be able to calm pokemon? I wanted to let my team hear it play so they could relax, but I heard that asshat of a viscount wouldn't return the flute."

Aaron took on a thoughtful look before he realized nothing was happening. He stared up at the ceiling. 'Umm… do I get a quest for this?'

"You alright there?"

"Don't worry, Morgan, he's communing with the divine spirits of the wind," Sophie muttered as she rolled her eyes.

"You two are really familiar with each other. Are you sure you're not dating?" Morgan arched an eyebrow.

"You too? Dad gave me crap for this already! He's way too old for me!"

"I'm playing, baby sister. I always did think you'd be into older men though. If something does start between you two, I'm going to have to give him the third degree," Morgan warned only half jokingly.

'Aww come on, you mean I don't get a quest for the flute?' Aaron only just realized what he must look like and coughed awkwardly. "Sorry about that, I zone out sometimes."

"Try once a day, at least," Sophie muttered.

"Well, thanks for the company, Morgan, but I'm going to let you and Sophie have some much needed family time. I'm off to take care of some business of my own." As he walked away, he was happy to note Reputation with Morgan and Sophie had improved by 2.

X

Aaron sold the 24 venipede carcasses to a bounty station for 80 Credits apiece, landing him a cool 1,920 Credits, bringing his nest egg up to 2889 Credits. He took 150 Credits of this money to replenish his food supply. To be honest, he had plenty of food, roughly 88 pounds in his inventory, but he decided that splurging a bit on more flavorful ingredients wouldn't be a bad thing. 200 Credits worth of rubber bullets for practice rounded out his shopping list.

Beyond his shopping spree, the two days had been quite productive. He had improved his DEX by 4 and VIT by 3 while leveling Agility and Marksmanship by 2 each. Although he was not gaining any levels, he was certainly growing stronger. Fable, to their mutual satisfaction, had managed to reduce the time it took for him to disassemble a stone into sand to four minutes instead of five while gaining greater control of Mud Slap. The increased results of their training had raised his REP with Fable by 3.

 **Name: Aaron Phantomweiss**

 **Level: 15**

 **Title: The Gamer**

 **Ability: NA**

 **HP: 420**

 **MP: 210**

 **Strength: 46**

 **Dexterity: 78**

 **Vitality: 42**

 **Intelligence: 21**

 **Wisdom: 28**

 **Luck: 22**

 **Charisma: 7**

 **Attribute Points: 50**

 **Skill Points: 3**

'I'm really starting to look like a speed-main, aren't I?' he mused. He had been shocked to find a rather neat little perk built into the Agility skill. As of level 10, Agility could be stacked twice.

 **Agility: Level 10 (3%)**

 **Passive: Improves Aura Affinity by 10%.**

 **Active: Improves DEX by 145%.**

 **Cost: 40 MP/minute.**

 **Level 10: You can stack this skill twice.**

A 290% increase of his 78 DEX meant an additional 226.2 DEX, bringing up his already rather absurd speed to a whopping 304.2. 'Granted, I'm sure there are pokemon that make this look slow, but moving 30 times the speed of an elite sprinter is still insane… The problem here is that I can't even double up on Agility for three minutes before I run out of MP. Is it worthwhile to dump all my points into Intelligence?' Eventually, Aaron decided that yes, a larger MP pool is worth the points. In the end, the added MP would both let him practice for longer periods of time while making use of his relatively high regeneration rate. So, 71 INT it was.

X

Three days after their arrival in Camphrier, Aaron was headed towards Shabboneau Castle to hear the viscount's side of the story.

 **I don't know why you're so hung up on the flute; just let the idiots whistle into another one.**

'It's not about the flute, really, Giratina. The entire thing screams of a major plot point. Think about it: a treasured artifact, a potentially corrupt noble, and a hero who shows up just in the nick of time to hear about the problem? I know I'm pigeonholing myself into a stereotype here, but maybe I can get something out of it. Besides, you four are the ones who gave me the quest for the mega stones. I may as well see if the Mawilite is where I think it is.'

" **Smart,"** came the grating voice of Dialga.

'Wait… I can hear you. In my mind. Why?'

" **We figured we may as well remove the text boxes if we're going to talk to you anyway. Consider this a quality of life fix,"** said Palkia.

" **Besides, we like talking to you and waiting for you to finish reading is a bit of a pain,"** came the dragon goddess' ghostly whisper.

'You're just an angel, aren't you, Giratina?'

" **You don't get to complain while you take advantage of a poor town's misfortune."**

'Touché.' The castle came in sight and Aaron almost laughed at the tacky uniform the gate guards were wearing.

" **Don't laugh, Aaron, it's rude,"** came Palkia's chiding voice, " **I remember when bright colors used to be symbols of wealth."**

" **You mean back when the hairless monkeys couldn't even figure out how to harvest dyes properly? Good times, they were so adorably pathetic."**

" **Must everything you say be some form of insult, sister?"**

" **Hmm, yes, I think it does, my dear overgrown lamprey,"** Giratina said. Aaron couldn't see her, but he'd bet his right arm she had a smug, shit-eating grin on her face.

'I think that's what the shrinks call Tourette's syndrome. Holy shit, mental disorders predate humanity… and the world itself… Mind. Blown.'

" **Don't make me come over there and eat your soul."**

'Your daddy wouldn't let you.'

" **I am called 'Renegade' for a reason,"** she shot back.

" **Oh, come off it, sister. It's fun to see someone mock you for a change. Dare I say it? It's… refreshing. Yes, that's the word,"** came Dialga's ringing laughter mixed with the chaos dragon's growl. " **At any rate, how will you go see the noble? You humans are quite particular about meaningless trifles like social status if I recall."**

'Watch me,' Aaron smirked as he stood before the two guards. He stared. They stared back. He kept staring. They twitched. He took on a distinct shark-like smile.

"Ahem, can we help you, sir?" One of the guards asked. He was an older man with a handlebar mustache. On his head, he wore a medieval helm, cone-shaped and fastened using a chin-strap. His tunic was an eye catching red and blue, mixed in a dizzying checkered pattern. The vibrant coat covered what Aaron assumed was standard chainmail and stretched down to just above his knees. On his legs, he wore iron greaves that probably helped to make his shift of guard duty easier. If anything, he would be less inclined to move due to the uncomfortable footwear. As if they couldn't be cliché enough, the two barred the gates using crossed halberds.

Aaron stared for another solid three minutes until the man's partner, a younger lad of about 28, said impatiently, "Sir, if you have no business here, move on your way."

"Oh, I'm sorry, good sirs; might I ask you for an audience with the lord of this dashing estate?" Aaron said in the most irreverent accent he could pull off.

" **You do realize the Kalos equivalent on your world is France, not Britain, yes?"** the Origin asked.

'Of course I do, but everything sounds ten times as asinine if you say it with a British accent. It's cosmic law.'

" **What has my creation come to that you lecture** _ **me**_ **about cosmic law?"** Arceus bemoaned.

"No, Viscount Shabboneau is a busy man. He has no time to sit around and wait for some dullard to get his thoughts in order," the older of the duo frowned.

"Now, now, gentlemen, can't I speak with him for a moment? I have some intriguing suggestions for the good man."

"Like what," the guard growled.

"Well, for one, you chaps could use a more… modern… attire. I mean, really, your tunic looks more like a badly knit quilt. Is it meant to be a dress or did you lose a bet?" Their eyebrows twitched in annoyance. "I mean, what's the point of having a conical helmet? Because you're sure as hell not putting it to good use standing around here. Maybe it's so you can pee into it without leaving your station?" Aaron gave them his best innocent smile and watched them twitch more violently. "You know, I think you're starting to develop a condition. Twitching like this can't be good for you. I know, you can let me see the viscount and I can ask him to give you boys some time off!"

"Go. Away," the elder guard said through gritted teeth.

"Me? Leave? I haven't talked to the old chap yet, mate. So why don't you step aside? Or are those steel grieves too heavy for your manly selves? Is that handlebar 'stache meant to compensate for something?"

"Enough. You will leave or we will arrest you"

"You can try," so saying, Aaron reached over and yanked on the man's mustache, _hard_. The man shrieked in a distinctly unmanly manner and cradled his abused face.

The younger guard had apparently had enough, because with a shout of fury, he lunged forward. Aaron laughed and casually pivoted on his left foot, simultaneously dodging out of his range and rotating behind him. "Do you even know how to use those things?" Aaron mocked, "I know spears are supposed to be the easiest weapons to use, but halberds are a different story, you know." He gave the man a swift kick in the backside, sending him tumbling into his partner. "The axe head drags the weapon's center of gravity higher up the pole and makes recovering after thrusts like that rather slow," the young aura guardian lectured, his voice never once rising.

"Shut up!" Another thrust, another dodge. This time, the youth coordinated with his partner and the two swiped from opposite directions, planning to scissor Aaron between them. Aaron just grinned and jumped high enough to watch both weapons swing past him. Without the expected weight of his body to counter-balance against the momentum of the swings, both men were forced to stumble back.

"You're both clearly beginners. And don't think I didn't notice that baby-face actually tried to hit me with the axe end while handlebars over there had enough presence of mind to use the blunt side," Aaron said as he landed. "Remember, there are only two types of assholes that bother people with weapons: the stupid kind that will inevitably die out, and the strong ones that can actually kick your ass blindfolded. Guess which one I am?" He hopped forward a step and launched his fist into baby-face's sternum, doubling the man over regardless of chainmail. Aaron grabbed the guard's wrist and with a deft turn, took his weapon for himself. "Now, handlebars, let me show you how to use a halberd correctly." To the man's credit, he did not run or scream, but stood and presented a firm stance with a determined look.

" **You don't know how to use halberds either,"** Palkia helpfully pointed out, " **Self-Defense gave you some decent hand to hand skills, not advanced weaponry. You could probably integrate daggers into your fighting style, but don't expect to use things like halberds casually."**

'Of course I don't know how to use them. I know two techniques my friend showed me with the bo staff in my old life.'

" **And you think that will help?"** Dialga's voice rang.

'It wouldn't if I were normal, but I'm several times stronger than an athlete at his peak. That means I should be able to compensate for the difference in center of gravity. Besides, just being faster is a big enough advantage on its own,' Aaron thought as he slid into a basic stance. He made sure to choke up on the shaft, closer to the axe, leaving almost two feet of wood behind him.

He smirked as he lunged forward, right foot before the left. The elder guard parried, wincing as the strength behind the lunge made his hands shake. Aaron went along with the parry, rotating his feet similarly to the way he took down the younger guard before. He allowed the momentum of his opponent's deflecting strike spin him halfway around and brought the butt end of the halberd to his opponent's chest in a horizontal slash.

"Nggh," the elder guard grunted as he stumbled back. He brought up his halberd to guard, but could not stop the rapid jabs that sent the wooden end smashing into his chest. In just a few moments, both guards were down.

"Hey! What the hell is going on here!" someone shouted from the castle wall.

"Hello, mind opening the gate? I'd like to have a chat with the viscount," Aaron shouted back, distinctly more cheerfully than the newcomer. "Or I could continue giving your guards their lesson on proper weapon handling."

Aaron gave the celestial dragons an internal smirk as the gate creaked open a few minutes later. 'Heh, being an asshole does pay off sometimes.'

" **I can't believe that worked,"** the dragon of time mumbled.

" **It's obviously because they're not actual knights. In the olden times, you would have received an arrow to the face for that."**

'Or, the viscount is just an idiot.'

" **Probably, you humans aren't the sharpest tools,"** Giratina sniped.

'Thanks, you rotting bratwurst,' Aaron shot back. He promptly tuned out the outraged swears and threats with practiced ease; he did have a little sister in his old life after all.

"What. Do. You. Want." The short, rotund man could only be the lord of the castle. He was dressed in royal blue and blistering red with what Aaron assumed was the crest of his house stitched across his breast pocket. "I take a walk along the castle walls and find some _vagrant_ assaulting my guards."

"Hey! Someone could take offense to that," Aaron shouted in mock hurt.

"And you," the viscount growled towards the downed guards, "you can't even handle one fool?"

'Oh you know what? Fuck this guy.' Aaron's eyes narrowed before he snatched the old noble's hat, a garish red and blue piece, and dashed inside the castle.

"Give that back and get out of my castle!"

"No!"

"Guards!" the noble shouted as he stamped his feet.

"They've failed before, but who knows, maybe quantity is a quality all its own, eh?"

"I want this man gone!"

"But if I leave, who else will spice up your life?" Aaron laughed as he ducked to the side, avoiding the first of many guards that seemingly materialized from around the corner.

"I will have you arrested," the corpulent noble frowned.

"You could call the cops, but if you do, you'll be admitting that all of these guards are useless against yours truly." Aaron hopped to avoid a flying tackle, using the poor man sailing beneath him as a springboard to stay out of reach of two more. "More importantly, you'll be admitting that _you_ can't handle one man. If you use pokemon, you'll further be admitting that I'm more than a vagrant. What'll it be?"

"RAGGGGHHHH!"

"You know, humans aren't meant to turn that shade of red," Aaron said with feigned concern. "You could get rid of me easily if you'd only treat me like a civilized noble should his guest."

Viscount Shabboneau took a deep breath. And then another. Then a third for good measure before some of the red left his cheeks and his face turned back into a normal color. "Enough." And suddenly, the guards stopped, all except those groaning in pain on the ground. "Very well, _guest_ ," he spat out the word with obvious derision. "We will speak. Come."

" **I'm still not sure why that worked,"** Palkia wondered. " **Humans are strange."**

'You can always count on nobles to be inordinately proud of themselves. I just played on that pride and his desire to save face.' **For your foresight and sheer ability to annoy, your WIS has increased by 1. You have gained 1 REP with the four deities.** 'Huh, thanks guys.'

" **You're welcome, but humans really can be really annoying. That's why I just eat their souls and be done with it. I mean, could you imagine the headaches I'd get if I tried to listen to every soul that ended up in the Distortion?"**

" **You mean there is a point to your violence, sister? Truly, will the wonders never cease?"** Dialga snarked.

'You guys are funny. Gods or not, dragons or not, masters of primordial forces that govern the universe or not, you are quarrelsome siblings in the end. What was Arceus thinking?'

" **That I could use some excitement in my life; it is my eternal regret that I did not think to create some aspirin first."**

X

The two were in a posh sitting room decorated with surprisingly tasteful blue wallpaper. An elegant cedar coffee table acted as the centerpiece of the room while the two sat across from each other in matching lounge chairs. Windows lined the walls to let in sunlight no matter the time of day while a cabinet full of fine china stood at the far corner. Vases of vibrant flowers covered every available shelf space.

"If you are done admiring my home, what could you possibly want with me to create that much ruckus?"

"Me? Nothing. Camphrier though, I hear they want their flute back."

"And you decided to be the altruist and retrieve it?" he asked with an arched brow.

"Yup!"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"I said please."

"And I said no."

"Why?"

"None of your business. Now if that's all, get out."

"Nope. Why are you so hung up on this? Just give the flute to them for one lousy day and then take it back."

The viscount frowned. "And why are you so concerned? You are not even from Camphrier in the first place. By your accent, you are not from Kalos at all!"

"True, but I just felt like doing a good deed," Aaron said as he did his best to ignore Giratina's " **Bullshit,"** cough. "Look, tell you what, we're both stubborn assholes. So let's make a bet: I bet I can beat anyone in this castle in a fight. If I can win, you will give me the flute. If your champion wins, you can call the cops and I turn myself in for trespassing no questions asked."

" **That's an interesting suggestion. Why?"** Dialga asked.

'Because, if his guards' uniforms are anything to go by, he's clearly someone who places a lot of value on his title, and its medieval origins. If I can play this off as an old-school duel, he's more likely to accept. I just need to get him to believe it's his idea.'

"Oh? And why should I take this wager, intruder?"

"My name is Aaron Phantomweiss. I made a mockery of the security of your home. You are obligated to capture me yourself," Aaron grinned internally as the viscount's eyes lit up.

"Oho! An honor duel then!"

'And there it is.'

"Very well, Aaron Phantomweiss, you shall face the head of my castle's guard. Be warned that it will be a true duel and not a battle."

"Sure, whatever. Bring it on."

 **Omake: The Professor's Lessons: Day 3: Pokemon and Terrain**

Aaron looked around the office. A map of known mega stone locations that he'd long since memorized, a stack of notes and academic journals, Augustine's laptop, pictures of the professor's family, bookcases full of articles and more journals, and the all too familiar whiteboard greeted him. The professor leaned back across from him, his hands fiddling with a rather pricey looking fountain pen.

"Well, my young friend, we have covered the most common medicines you are likely to encounter in your journey. Was there a specific topic you'd like to discuss?"

'I won't be able to explain how I know so much about mega evolutions so let's avoid that for now…' "Can we go over terrains?"

"Terrains? I take it you don't mean habitats of pokemon because that would be a discussion worthy of an entire university doctorate," the professor replied drily.

"No, I mean the moves: Psychic, Electric, Misty, and Grassy Terrains. They're fascinating. How do they just overwrite the environment like that? For that matter, if these terrains confer bonuses and buffs to a pokemon, how come natural terrains like mountains and lakes don't?"

"Ah, now that is a much more manageable topic of discussion. For starters, who says normal terrains don't confer benefits onto pokemon savvy enough to use them correctly?"

"You know I'm not talking about standard tactical advantages of forests and the like," Aaron scowled.

"True, there is indeed something special about the four terrains: aura." The professor smirked as Aaron's eyes lit up. 'So he does know about it.'

"Yes, let's talk about aura. Is it real? I grew up hearing stories about my namesake, Sir Aaron, and I really want to know how much of those stories are actually true."

"For that, you'll have to go to Kanto and head for Rota. I doubt they'll tell you the truth however; propaganda is a powerful thing after all. Perhaps even they don't know for certain anymore."

"Well, I'm still interested. On one hand, aura is something that cannot be quantified by standard scientific methods. It is the source of ghost type pokemon, psychic talents manifesting in humans, and perhaps even the Legends. On the other hand, aura definitely exists on some level."

"Yes, I see you've done your own research on the matter. Back to the four terrains then. Basically, they are techniques which overload a battlefield with aura of a certain type which aids or inhibits auras of other types. Take Misty Terrain as an example. It floods the battlefield with fairy type aura, which manifests as the mist that lends the technique its name. Within this territory, neither pokemon nor humans contract disease and pokemon that don't like fairy aura are greatly weakened. Any questions?"

"Yeah, a lot. First, what do you mean no one can contract disease within the mist? Doesn't that shake the foundations of medical science or something? Second, Are flying types inherently immune? I heard they weren't affected by terrains of all sorts. Third, why do all the other terrains empower their respective auras while the fairy variant weakens its opposite?"

The professor smiled, "I'm impressed, Most young trainers only care about a techniques uses in battle, not outside of it. To answer your question, yes Misty Terrain does have incredible medicinal value, and so do Grassy Terrain and Electric Terrain. In theory. However, no one has managed to put the terrains to use in the medical field. Remember that the four terrains are incredibly expensive techniques. To saturate an area with aura of a certain type, the pokemon in question would naturally require tremendous reserves of power. Even if the technique is somehow self sustaining, that initial investment has to come from somewhere after all. Then there is the fact that Misty Terrain doesn't actually heal people. Grass Terrain does, but only slowly. Those who are ill before entering the mist remain ill and can indeed die of their illness."

"So what if Misty Terrain doesn't actually prevent us from being hurt?"

"Oh?"

"There is a story of a man who wandered into the forest and got lost. He took a nap by a tree hollow and when he woke up, he was rested and able to find his way back home. He arrives home only to find that his son, who was a toddler when he left, is himself an old man with children of his own. He had skipped forward into time."

"So you are suggesting that the terrain alters time; fascinating, but that has already been tested by a Dr. Collins around twenty years ago. She was said to be something of an occultist. She found no difference in time between the mist and the world outside. The theory is further debunked by the fact that the supposed masters of time, Dialga and Celebi, are both not of the fairy type."

"I'm not saying Misty Terrain freezes an area in time, that's ridiculous. I'm saying it alters the body's own position in time. If you consider each body as unique systems, then it makes sense. What is already in the body, such as a preexisting disease or the body's own organ systems, work perfectly fine, but the separation in time prevents all other conditions. I suppose the mist could impact space instead of time as well, but that doesn't add up. Burns, paralysis, and poisons of every type can be reasoned away, but the only way someone could cease their entire sleep cycle is if their bodies followed a different chronic progression."

"Interesting theory, or it could simply be that fairy type energy tends to be rejuvenating."

"I don't doubt that's the case, but why doesn't Misty Terrain increase passive healing then?"

"Ah, there is the crux of the matter. We honestly don't know. Fairy types are by their very nature beings that defy logic. Their mental processes are alien to even the best of us and their powers are equally bizarre. Who knows? If you ever meet Xerneas, ask him for me," the professor gave a wry chuckle. "Regardless of how fascinating it is to think of Misty Terrain's mechanisms, the terrains are techniques that are too costly to maintain and aura just dissipates over time. We scientists cannot store it." He took a long draught of what Aaron assumed was coffee. "As for flying types, what gave you that idea? They possess no biological capability that makes them immune to the mist."

"Why do people keep saying that flying enemies are unaffected by terrains?"

"Oh, that's a misconception typical of most battlers. You see, only the strongest pokemon are capable of using these moves in the heat of battle, and even then, the aura concentration is not nearly enough to affect the entire battlefield. The mist naturally gets thinner the higher you go and flying types can often simply fly above."

"What's keeping a flying type from blowing away the mist?"

"Aura is not physical matter as dust or water vapor is. It has no mass to blow away."

"Oh, I see. Does that mean a significantly powerful fairy type can cover enough of the airspace for flying types to be affected too?"

"Yes, Diantha's Gardevoir proved it when she created a massive dome of mist that trapped Drasna's noivern during their last exhibition match."

"Wow, she's a badass, huh?"

"In a manner of speaking," he answered with a chuckle. "Diantha remains the only champion in recent memory to have a full time job outside of training pokemon. Cynthia may love ruins and archeological digs, but she is an amateur who indulges in a hobby. Alder is a wanderer, Lance's job as head of the G-Men is combat oriented, and Steven only participates in Devon Corp's board of directors meetings when the matters directly relate to pokemon. In other words, Diantha is champion not because of her vast experience in training pokemon, but despite her relative lack of time devoted to pokemon training. She is that much of a prodigious talent."

"Doesn't that make her the weakest champion? Someone who is distracted from training can't be of the same caliber as the others, right?"

"Yes and no. Diantha's gardevoir doesn't have the raw strength of Lance's dragonite or the mechanical skill of Steven's metagross, but you'd be surprised at how well she can hold her own. For one, her gardevoir can mega evolve, something only Steven's metagross can do. Second, she is a far more versatile trainer than most other champions. Rather than thinking of her as someone who is the pinnacle of power, think of her as someone who has adopted countless different strategies for the sake of finding a mix that works for her." Augustine took another sip of his drink. "I think we've deviated far enough. I promise we'll cover the League some other day. As to your third question, no one knows why Misty Terrain weakens other types while the other three terrains empower their respective types. It could be a quirk of aura or just the way certain types of pokemon execute attacks. Consider electric type pokemon: Many store electricity in sacs, like the ones on a pikachu's cheeks, but this electricity has to come from more than just their bodies. Magnemite are famous for taking in electricity from exposed wires and gathering en masse around storm clouds after all. The prevailing theory, at least with Electric Terrain, is that it creates an environment which both conducts electricity better and allows pokemon to charge more electricity at a time than normal."

"Why isn't that harmful for water types then?"

"That's a bit more complicated but think of Electric Terrain as a move which increases the potential in the air. In the end, potential is not the same as actual electricity; without direction provided by an electric attack, it's useless. On a side note, the increased energy in the air also prevents people and pokemon from falling asleep."

"Does it also prevent paralysis?"

"Nope, not as far as we know. I know; it's weird. Apparently, the electricity in the air isn't enough to stimulate nerve endings to cure paralysis, but is enough to prevent a person or pokemon from falling asleep. The technique was used to devastating effect during the Unova - Kalos War three hundred years ago. It's actually how electric types became the specialty of the Marquis of Lumiose."

"How so?"

"Kalos needed a way to lay siege to cities in Unova and weaken them before invasion. So, when it was discovered that helioptile could be bred to know the move, squads of them would be trained to infiltrate cities and use it in major buildings. Basically, Unovan government administrators, politicians, strategists, and military leaders weren't allowed to have stable sleep schedules. Imagine only being able to sleep three hours a day at random periods for weeks at a time. Your decision making faculties would be severely inhibited and you'd likely end up killing yourself."

"Holy shit, how did the helioptile remain hidden? The move is kind of noticeable."

"In battle, many pokemon release yellow sparks and these sparks seem to charge an area. However, static electricity isn't normally visible. Given enough time and control, a pokemon can make the terrain virtually unnoticeable aside from the initial discharge of sparks. As unevolved pokemon, helioptile naturally have smaller electric stores than heliolisk. This allowed them to have weaker terrains that wouldn't be as useful in boosting electric attacks, but could still prevent sleep. That, and helioptile are naturally small pokemon, allowing them to sneak around vents and basements. It took Nimbasa's use of surveillance joltik and ambush galvantula to be rid of the problem and turn the tide."

"That's… honestly terrifying…"

"Yes, these days, trainers obsess over power and moves that look impressive, not realizing that technique and refinement can be just as deadly. Back on topic, Grassy Terrain does something similar. Instead of charging the air, the user releases hormones that catalyze growth to an extreme degree. It is also thought that this improves the efficiency of chlorophyll in grass types, allowing for better energy absorption from light and stronger attacks."

"How about Psychic Terrain then?"

"Not a clue," Augustine gave a helpless shrug. "It's easily the rarest of all terrains; other than Tapu Lele, only three other species are capable of learning the move. Musharna, beheeyem, and oranguru aren't exactly common pokemon either. No other psychic type, no matter how powerful, is capable of it. Or if they are, they haven't bothered to use the move."

"Could it be that they don't need to?"

"Possible, but explain your reasoning."

"Well, Psychic Terrain, besides boosting psychic type attacks, causes priority moves to fail, right?"

"Yes and no. It would be more accurate to say that all moves simply become less effective against psychic types with the exception of dark type moves, for obvious reasons."

'So it doesn't shut down priority…' "Could it be that Psychic Terrain somehow improves a psychic type's ability to predict the short term future?"

"You, my young friend, have once again hit upon a major theory. Yes, psychic types are capable of avoiding more attacks in the terrain than out of it, as though they know what will come."

"Then I'd guess that many psychic types don't feel the need to know the move since they're far faster than musharna."

"Could be, could be. I really do appreciate this discussion; you have a mind for theories, Aaron. But, I must return to my research."

"Sure thing, professor. I'll show myself out."

 **Author's Note**

 **This chapter is the point where you can consider the prologue over. Next chapter, Aaron will acquire his second pokemon and in turn be known to a wider audience so look forward to that. I wanted to end on a somewhat comedic note because it can get a bit dark. Not all of it, but this story is supposed to be Pokemon with some of the hijinks taken out of it so the story will be much more solemn as we progress.**

 **I seriously doubt anyone will guess Aaron's team, but you're certainly free to guess/make suggestions. He will not have more than nine at most and as of this Author's Note, I have five planned.**

 **As always, constructive feedback is appreciated.**

 **Pat reon dot com slash Sorre**


	6. Chapter 6

**Preface**

 **Good morning and happy Monday. Truthfully, I didn't write a single word this entire week. I took part in the Atlantic Council's 9/12 Cyber Incident Competition at American University in DC this weekend so I just didn't have the time. Anyway, congratulations to Air Force Academy for winning that, even if no one from the USAF reads this.**

 **I received a review asking why my omake were more info dumps than any form of comedy. "Omake" actually just means "bonus" or "extra." They're not always comedy and they don't always have to be canon. They're basically extra bits of the story that the author didn't include into the main plot for whatever reason. In this case, they were just too time consuming and we never would have gotten out of Lumiose if I had Aaron go through each day of the week. Even those omake are quite short in comparison to what I originally had planned. Don't worry, they'll get funny later.**

 **Anyway, I guarantee that some of you won't like the first half of this chapter, but I ask that you seriously consider what you would have done in Aaron's place. It's not easy being the only superpowered person in the world.**

 **Finally, there is a poll on my profile. I'm thinking about adding another story to the rotation. Please vote and let me know what you think.**

 **Chapter Six: Isis**

Aaron stood across from the corpulent viscount and the captain of his guard with a confident grin adorning his face. They were in an indoor arena, supposedly built by the viscount's ancestors. In truth, it was little more than a barn, if the barn had no lofts or stables and was made of stone instead of wood. The floor was of compact dirt, without even the standard white chalk pokemon stadium design. On one side was a statue of a tall, regal looking man brandishing a sword in an admittedly heroic pose. The sword was a standard double-edged bastard sword. What made it unique was its guard; it was extraordinarily wide and tapered off to a thin point. If it wasn't for its matte black sheen, it could be mistaken for flower petals. The guard also seemingly had teeth, presumably for catching and twisting the enemy's weapons out of their grip, but Aaron thought it looked like a pair of jaws. A pink, perfectly spherical gemstone was embedded at the center of the guard. It caught the light, a grey and yellow wisp of _something_ seemed to call to him. Aaron smirked and made a note of it. 'Mawilite found.'

The captain was supposedly some martial artist named Morris who trained in Saffron City in Kanto. Morris was a large man but unlike the viscount, he was built with hard-won muscle rather than the fat accumulated from a life of luxury. He puffed out his bare chest, displayed for the world through the gap in his traditional white gi. Rather than being impressed, Aaron rolled his eyes. What is mortal strength compared to a Gamer? "So, how is this going to work? I challenged you, so you must set the terms, viscount," he called, willing himself to get into the role.

"Oho, that is how it works is it? Very well then! You shall face Morris in combat. This should be an excellent way to assuage my honor and keep me entertained at the same time."

The one called Morris took a step forward and released a pokemon. It had tanned skin reminiscent of someone who worked in the sun for too long with three blunt crests rising from its skill. It wore a purple toga and two boxing gloves. It glared menacingly as it punched the air fast enough to make the air hiss.

'Oh shit… Why does this guy have a hitmonchan?' Aaron gave a mental shout.

" **Because he's from Saffron? They're kind of known for that. You knew this,"** Palkia admonished.

" **Has the grand strategist made a slight miscalculation?"** Giratina said with a noticeable snigger in her voice.

"Shut the fuck up, Giratina!" Aaron shouted at the ceiling. He looked around to see the viscount and his opponent staring at him in disbelief. 'That was out loud wasn't it?'

" **Yes, yes it was. Sister is laughing so hard she can't talk to you,"** Dialga's said. Even through the metallic ring of his voice, Aaron could tell the time dragon was stifling his laughter.

"Ugh, I hope you three bite your own tails," he grumbled before turning to Fable. "Alright, here's the plan. You're not going to overpower a hitmonchan, Huge Power be damned. You're also likely not faster than it so you'll have to rely on Quick Attack and Agility just to keep up," he whispered.

Fable shrugged before giving him a lopsided smile. "Aw come on, boss. Have a little faith in me, yeah?"

"I do, but it's always good to temper faith with realism," Aaron said drily. Seeing the rabbit about to protest, he ruffled his partner's fur. "Look, first, you're going to use Mud Slap around yourself. Kick up as much dust as possible. You need to do this as quickly as you can because if that hitmonchan knows Mach Punch, Agility won't save you. We're going to bank on that black belt wanting to play around with us. Then, immediately use Spikes and Mud Slap to blind it. This will bait it into the dust cloud. Do as much damage as possible, then run."

"And after that?" Fable's ears twitched in anticipation.

"You almost definitely won't take it down with just that. Kick up more dust and keep using hit and run tactics. The problem with hitmonchan is that its punches aren't widespread. Unless it's so powerful that it can clear the dust with just wind pressure, it's probably not going to be able to do anything about the cloud."

The viscount grew impatient and began stamping his foot. "Hey, enough talk! Bring out your pokemon!"

Aaron did his best to give the man a confident smirk. "This bunnelby _is_ my chosen pokemon."

"You've got to be kidding me," the black belt said. He looked momentarily shocked before he shrugged in ambivalence. "Alright, if you want us to paste the bunnelby so badly then go ahead."

"Ready!" The viscount called, barely holding himself from hopping around with excitement. "Begin!"

Immediately, the hitmonchan dashed forward with a confident smirk. 'It didn't even bother waiting for orders,' Aaron thought. Fable smashed both ears into the earth, causing a cloud of thick sand to fill his side of the arena. The hitmonchan stopped short of the cloud.

"This changes nothing," Morris taunted, "The sand is going to settle eventually." Any further comments were interrupted by a clump of mud hitting the punching pokemon square in the eyes.

"Argghhh, you irritating piece of shit! I'll kill you!" the hitmonchan roared before rushing inside the cloud, only to yelp in pain as it stepped in the Spikes Fable had set beforehand.

"Huh, so the hitmonchan is female," Aaron mused.

" **Why is this a surprise?"** Arceus asked.

'You know why. In my world, the tyrogue line is exclusively male. I was wondering if it was a quirk of the games or a biological fact you enforced.' Aaron grinned as Fable ran out of the cloud. "Go, Fable! Set more Spikes and raise another cloud!"

"Why you," Morris growled before lunging across the field toward him.

Aaron dodged what would have been a painful punch with a quick pivot. "Oi! What the hell, you Bruno wannabe?"

"This is a duel, not a battle," the viscount said happily. "As knights dueled, so should you." Morris turned on a dime and launched a series of quick jabs towards him, forcing him to take several steps back.

"You want to play? Fine! Don't bitch about this later!" Aaron lunged forward, making sure to slow himself down to average human levels, but quickly found himself outmatched in the techniques department. Every punch was slapped aside and it was all he could do to avoid getting grabbed without showing his own superhuman abilities. Finally, Morris managed a front snap kick, nailing his diaphragm and forcing him to stagger.

 **Critical hit! -40 HP!**

"Boss!" Fable cried, only to receive a swift jab from the hitmonchan that sent him sailing across the field.

"Heh, that's for throwing mud in my eyes, midget," she jeered. She cocked her arm back, traces of fire surrounding her glove. "Now sit still and let me put you out of your misery."

"Fable, stall her! I can handle this guy; focus on surviving!" Aaron grimaced in pain. 'That's going to bruise in the morning. At least I know NPCs can land critical hits too,' he grumbled to himself.

" **I can't believe you're losing to this idiot,"** Giratina whined, " **Kick his head in already; I have money on you."**

'You assholes bet on me? For that matter, what the hell do you need money for?' Aaron gave a mental shout as he stepped out of the way of another snap kick. That kick was quickly retracted and followed by three rapid punches that he barely parried. He took a quick step back and spun on his left foot, gathering as much momentum as possible before thrusting a backhand towards the black belt's head. To his frustration, Morris ducked and landed another punch, this time to his ribs.

 **-10 HP!**

"You're not half bad," the martial arts adept said as he shuffled back. "I wasn't expecting some punk kid to last this long against me."

"Thanks, I'm self-taught." 'Think, Aaron, I can't just overpower the guy; he actually knows what a master's physical limits look like. If I exceed them too much, he'll get suspicious.' He spared a moment to look at Fable's battle, or what could be seen through the dust clouds.

"My hitmonchan will eventually catch your bunnelby, even if it is impressively trained."

'He's right, I'm under a time constraint and I can't go all out. Shit!'

" **Ooh, what will Aaron do now? Will he give up and go to jail or will he reveal himself to be slightly better than the rest of the human trash? Tune in next time on Dragon Ball!"**

"Giratina, you're not helping!"

"You are a strange little man," Morris said with mild worry.

"That was out loud wasn't it?" Aaron didn't need a verbal response; the looks on everyone's faces were enough. "Shit." 'Can you three gag the overgrown centipede? Please?'

" **Done,"** Arceus, Palkia, and Dialga said simultaneously.

'Thanks.' He turned back to Morris. 'If I can get him to stop paying attention to me… Got it!' Taking another stance, he stared squarely at the black belt. "So, you're from Saffron, huh?" Seeing a minute nod, he continued, "Why are you here? Don't tell me, I know! You must have gotten kicked out, right?" A single twitch was all he needed. "Or maybe, you couldn't handle Sabrina?"

Morris growled and launched a swift left cross towards his head. "I'd be quiet about things you don't understand, little man."

Aaron smirked and leaned out of the way. "Oh, I'm a _little man_ now? This coming from the coward who ran halfway across the globe? From. A. Woman?" A much more powerful punch aimed at his head was the only reply.

" **And what are you implying?"** Giratina growled, her voice sending an ominous chill down his spine.

'Nothing at all. I'm fully aware Sabrina could likely kick my ass. Or seal my soul into a doll. I need him pissed off though,' Aaron placated. He dodged a knee kick that would have smashed into his kidney and rolled to the side. "So, I'm right? You know, the least you could do is tell me if you're a dickless coward."

"I've changed my mind. You won't be going to the police. You'll be going to the morgue!" He began a relentless series of punches and kicks that Aaron was sure could kill a normal opponent. A jab to the heart. Right cross to the temple. Left uppercut towards the chin. A right jab to the jugular. Aaron managed to block, but still took damage.

 **-5 HP!** **-5 HP!** **-5 HP!** **-5 HP!** **-5 HP!**

'Cool, so I can take half damage if I block his hits?' he winced as another kick battered his forearm. 'Or maybe that's just this guy's stats. It'd be great to have Observe or something, you guys.'

" **Quit whining. If you want a discernment skill, you've got to find it for yourself,"** Arceus chided.

'Ugh, whatever. He seems suitably pissed off now.' Aaron forced himself to take his eyes off of Morris and check on Fable. His partner was looking much worse for wear, with patches of fur singed and missing and a visible bruise growing on his face. He was also noticeably limping. 'I don't have much time either.' Aaron dodged yet another kick by the skin of his teeth. He then caught a jab to the torso, parried a cross aimed at his temple, and stepped away to avoid an uppercut to the chin. 'He's falling into a pattern. Perfect.' After one more repetition, he surged forward, grabbing the final jab to his throat shoving the elbow upwards. A sickening pop filled the air.

"Aahhhh!" Morris cried out as Aaron did his best to ignore the man's obvious agony. He ducked under his guard and gripped the black belt by the collar of his gi. Turning, he managed a rudimentary shoulder throw, slamming his opponent down onto the hard dirt. With one quick kick to the temple, Morris was spared further suffering. He dug through the man's clothing until he found hitmonchan's pokeball and returned her.

 **You have gained 360 EXP! You have gained 75 EXP!**

"Fable, you alright?" Aaron asked, "Come here; I've got a potion with your name on it, bud." Aaron considered it a testament to his partner's injuries that the normally prideful bunny didn't lodge a single complaint at being treated and "coddled" in public. After returning him to his pokeball, Aaron stalked towards the now visibly nervous viscount. "Well, viscount? I am victorious. Now, where is the flute?"

"Now, now, let's calm down. Why don't I offer you something else?" he said, sweat beginning to gather on his brow.

"Ok, I want that," Aaron pointed at the sword.

"NO!" the noble panicked. "I can give you some prize money, but not that! It's a priceless statue of the first viscount!"

"I don't want the statue, I just want the sword."

"Absolutely not!"

"You placed a bet. You gambled your honor. You even picked a champion to fight on your behalf. Now you go back on your word? Would your precious ancestor be proud of you?"

"I can't give you the flute because I don't have it!"

"Oh?"

"I… I will…" the viscount wracked his mind for something that would both satisfy his pride and his opponent. "I'll give you a rare pokemon! It'll be a rare pokemon that isn't native to Kalos!"

"Fine, but you're going to tell me where the flute is too. I actually do want to track it down."

" **You're really insistent on receiving a quest for this, aren't you?"** Dialga said with some amusement.

'Hell yes, unless you want to give me a quest right now.'

" **You have several."**

'I'd like a quest I can accomplish in a day or two, thanks. Not "Go gather the mystical stones scattered throughout the entire fucking globe." I need to grow somehow, you know.'

" **Needy little man."**

"I gave the flute to Duchess Moreau."

"… and why did you give away a priceless historical artifact that was not yours to give in the first place?" Aaron tried to stem his mounting ire.

"She demanded it because I couldn't pay the entirety of my annual tax to her," he moaned.

"And… where can I find the duchess?" Aaron now loomed over the shorter man. He made no threats, but the implication couldn't have been missed by a blind fool.

"At the Parfum Palace!"

He sighed. He wanted to be mad at the viscount; he really did. But at the end of the day, he was just another incompetent man born into old money. Whatever the first Viscount Shabboneau did to earn his title, this fat tub of lard quivering before him certainly didn't live up to it, no matter his fascination with traditions and honor. He was just some guy bowing and scraping before a bigger fish. "Fine. Just, give me my prize and I'll be on my way," he sighed.

Glad to be done with the matter, the viscount had two servants carry Morris to the castle infirmary then motioned for Aaron to follow. Eventually, he found himself outside the gates again. The viscount shoved a pokeball towards him and slammed the door. Shrugging, Aaron moved wandered back towards the pokemon center to heal Fable and meet his new friend.

X

Sophie was a happy girl. As much as she enjoyed irritating her brother, she did genuinely love him. She hadn't seen him since his promotion to captain four months ago. So, like any loving sister, she decided that this day of catching up could be best spent by dragging her oh so hopeless brother around every café and shop that caught her eye. After all, it was a brother's privilege to spoil his younger sibling, right? She was doing him a favor, right? Right.

"You do know I don't make that much money, right?" Morgan griped as he watched his incorrigible little sister slurp up yet another smoothie. Pecha, nanab and liechi this time. He lamented his much lighter wallet and promised to hold a proper funeral for his precious wages gone too soon.

Sophie noisily slurped the last of her smoothie before moving on to an artisan baked cookie from a bakery that promised "authentic, traditional Camphrier taste and texture." "You get state pension from the League."

Her brother sighed in defeat. "That doesn't mean I want to use it all feeding that black hole you call a stomach. Most of my living expenses are covered by the League because rangers are stationed mostly at outposts. We just eat what we're given since there aren't any shops nearby. We don't get a whole lot in the salary department. What would we use money on?"

"Your adoring sister of course," she claimed as though it were an immutable fact of the universe.

"I could be out drinking with friends and meeting girls. Why am I stuck with you?" he complained as he picked up an empty soda can off the ground and tossed it in the nearest disposal.

"Oh, fine, you grump. I'm pretty full anyway so I guess I can let you off easy," she said with a wink.

"Ugh, I pity your future boyfriend."

"Who says I don't have one now?" Sophie said indignantly.

"Aaron? I admit the guy's pretty cool..."

"Ew! He's older than you!"

"Exactly. And you don't really hang around any other guy I can think of so you must be single."

"You two are weirdly alike, you know that?" she said.

Morgan adjusted his ranger's cap to better block the sun. "Oh? How so?"

She crossed her arms with a huff. "You both have this annoying habit of picking apart anything I say. You're both bullies."

He couldn't help but chuckle at his sister's pout. "He's clearly a great influence on you then. You could use a little humbling, maybe a bit of worldly advice too."

"Well, now what? I got you to buy me a new outfit, lunch, and a snack too. What else can I get from you…"

"The least you could do is _pretend_ to be repentant," Morgan growled, feeling the onset of a migraine. He then got an idea.

Sophie saw a devilish smirk sprout on her brother's face and began to back away. "What? Why are you smiling like that? The last time you smiled like that, you almost set Monique on fire. Please don't smile like that."

Morgan placed both hands on his sister's shoulders, forcing her to face him. "Now whatever do you mean, beloved sister? I would never hurt my beloved sister. Captain's honor, beloved sister. I only want to see how far you've come as a trainer, beloved sister. After all, it wouldn't do for my beloved sister to slack off on her training, right? Whatever would big brother do if something happened to his beloved sister?"

Sophie couldn't help but feel a mild sense of dread as she was hauled off to one of the training fields set aside for wandering trainers. "Still worth it," she mumbled under her breath.

"We'll see, beloved sister."

X

Aaron made his way to the pokemon center to heal Fable and get his new pokemon checked out. After a quick thank you, he walked from the center to the hotel he had rented a room in and holed himself up. He released Fable from his ball with a flick of the wrist. "How're you feeling, buddy?" Aaron asked as his partner materialized in a pale blue glow.

Fable gave himself a quick look over and did a few stretches. "Not too bad. The nurse is awesome as usual," he said with a grin.

"I'm glad. Having you fight a hitmonchan without me to help was not in the plan. I'm sorry about that."

"Meh, no biggie. You gave me a pretty decent strategy before that other human tried to wallop you so it's not like you just stood back because you wanted to. I think I did fine all things considered."

Aaron sighed, relieved to see his partner held no grudges. "You did better than fine. You didn't win, but you did manage to stall against an opponent with greater weight, reach, speed, strength, skill, and even a type advantage. You were great and it's my fault you were in that situation." He lay back onto the bed, his head landing with a muffled thump. "I think it was a good thing though. It taught us our limits if nothing else."

"Yeah, you make the plans and I'll do the punching." Fable, as energetic as ever, launched himself onto his trainer's chest and gave him a lopsided smile.

"Good, now we're going to call up our new friend so get off me."

"Sweet!" The bunny ran around the room, but came to a rapid stop when his stomach let loose a roar that a certain sword wielding yakuza tiger in a different world would have been proud of. "Could we get some food first? I'm starving."

Aaron chuckled before pulling out three plates. He then tossed the viscount's pokeball onto the carpet and watched the release of his new partner. The pale blue light dimmed and coalesced into a small, almost perfectly spherical shape. The glimmer faded and Aaron was left with a green bird with red feet, yellow and black wings, and a crimson crest on its head. He identified it as a natu, the tiny bird pokemon native to Johto. 'Well, I suppose it's rare in Kalos so he wasn't lying per se…'

" **Do you dislike the thought of having a fortune telling partner with an air affinity and countless support skills?"** Dialga asked matter-of-factly. " **Short of my emissary, Celebi, there are few I've blessed quite like the xatu line."**

'I'll admit that a natu isn't my first choice in flying type… or psychic type, but I'm not about to discount it just because it doesn't fall within my definition of "good" pokemon, Dialga.'

" **Glad to hear it."**

Aaron turned to the natu. "Hello, my name is Aaron Phantomweiss and I'm your new trainer. Do you have a name?"

The natu seemed to look around, its eyes scanning the room. It turned towards his voice and tried to hop towards him, but tripped on thin air and rolled. Aaron hastily stopped the bird from rolling too far and set it back on its feet. "Umm…" it began, "I-I'm sorry."

"You're good. You must be recently hatched," Aaron said gently.

"N-no! I'm already two years old!" the natu, now identifiable as female, shouted indignantly.

Aaron turned to Fable, "Is that old?" Silence. "Oi, stop staring at the plates and meet your new teammate."

"Huh?" The famished rabbit shook his head and stared inquisitively at his new companion. "Ooh, what are you? You're even smaller than I am."

"She is a natu, the pre-evolution of xatu. Both pokemon are primary psychic, secondary flying types from the Johto region."

"You know a lot, master," the natu chirped.

"Yes, now let's have some lunch and get to know each other. The viscount never told me which species you would be so I didn't know which foods you'd enjoy. Anything you like in particular?"

The natu stumbled and tried to cover her mishap with a ruffling of wings. "Y-you don't have to bother," she stuttered, "Anything you have on hand is fine."

Aaron sighed. 'Timid nature for sure.'

" **You're dissatisfied with a timid nature? I was under the impression that was a good thing,"** Arceus said with an audible smile.

'It is if you want a special attacking sweeper, though I have this sneaking suspicion that the distinction between special and physical attackers is a bit muddled here. Natures are also likely more complex and influential than just impacting berry flavor preferences and giving a 10% buff or something stupid like that. I just don't want to deal with a super shy pokemon I'm going to have to baby every step of the way.' Aaron looked over to Fable. "What about you? You've had pretty much everything in my stash except the meats. What do you want?"

"Something spicy… maybe a bit of sweet…"

Aaron brought out a bundle of red berries that he could've sworn were rip offs of raspberries. He then sprinkled the plate with a handful of oran berries and handed it over. "Now, what about you… natu? We really need a name for you."

"W-what was that? I felt something in the air just now," she asked, startled.

He leaned back and looked at the bird a while longer. "You… you could sense my aura?"

"Aura?"

"Yeah, since you're my pokemon, you may as well know. I'm an aura guardian, the last alive as far as I know. I also have a small pocket dimension that I use to carry supplies. That's why even though we're in my room, I can call out a bunch of foods and such." He gave her a gentle smile that shrunk by a few teeth when she did not respond in any way. "Well, pick what you'd like. I can get you any berry you want."

"Umm… Can I have something sweet?"

Aaron grabbed a handful of oran berries from his inventory and noticed the minor twitch of her crest feathers as space rippled. He added in a few pecha berries for good measure and slid the plate over. "Enjoy."

The natu hopped forward and took a bite then promptly shrieked. "Hot, hot, hot!" Instead of eating from her own plate, she had taken one of Fable's razz berries in her beak. "Why!" she coughed out the mulched berry.

"Oi! If you're going to eat my food, at least don't spit it out!"

"Fable, stop, hold on a moment," Aaron called, only just stopping Fable from slapping the natu away. "Natu… you're blind… right?"

The tiny bird seemed to shrink even further as her red feather drooped. "Yes, I was born blind, a defect."

" **Well that explains her timid nature then, doesn't it, pal?"**

" **Sister, kindly shut up,"** snapped Palkia in an unusual show of exasperation.

Ignoring both, the budding aura master said gently, "Hey, you're not a defect. You're just a natu who's had a hard lot in life."

"Yes I am! Why else wouldn't the viscount train me? He's tried to sell me eight different times and every single time, they would back out when they found out I'm blind."

"Well that's their loss," Aaron said firmly.

"You're just saying that because you've already got me. Go on, just turn me in to the pokemon center and leave," she sniffed, "I'm sure you could find a stronger pokemon somewhere else."

He sighed and threw an oran berry at her head. As the natu let out a surprised squawk, he shoved a second berry in her beak. "Enough of your pity fest. I'm keeping you and step one of keeping you is feeding you so eat."

She choked down her berry before sniffling. "I don't want your charity."

"This isn't charity. Sure, you're not much now, but I'm looking at the bigger picture. Thunder Wave. Toxic. Roost. Wish. Defog. Calm Mind. Stored Power. Haze. They're all moves your species are capable of learning. Xatu aren't known for being overwhelming psychic powerhouses like alakazam. They're not the masters of wind that can fly at supersonic speeds or create hurricanes at will like pidgeot You know what they _are_ known for? They're famous for being able to see the future. They're famous for having some of the largest support movepools out of any flying or psychic type. I'm not keeping you out of pity; this is an investment. Besides, if you really didn't want charity, you'd have killed yourself by now," Aaron said dryly.

"Boss, that's kind of harsh," Fable cut in.

"Maybe, but true," he sighed and picked up the struggling bird. "Look… I mean listen… You might be blind, but that doesn't mean you can't be strong. Or have you forgotten your type? You're a psychic for goat's sake!" He dutifully ignored a sharp headache courtesy of said goat and plowed on, "You managed to sense my use of aura without any training. I'm willing to bet you can learn to function without your eyes just fine. And you know what? I'm going to put my time where my mouth is and train you to do just that. Any questions?"

The young bird sniffled, holding back tears. "Th-thank you, master…"

"Nope, call me Aaron."

"Master Aaron."

"Just Aaron."

"Master Just Aaron," the natu chirped. If he didn't know beaks didn't bend that way, he'd have sworn she was smirking.

"You know what? Fuck it… whatever."

"Heh, we have a new minion!"

"Shut up, Fable. And you, natu, eat your berries." He quickly turned her around. "There, at your 12 o'clock." Seeing her begin to eat, Aaron sighed. "Now that that's out of the way, what do I call you? I refuse to call you just 'natu' or 'that little bird.'"

"I don't have a name, master," she said as she took another bite.

"Fine… how about Tweety?"

"Have I ever told you your naming sense is horrible, boss?"

"Go back to stuffing your face."

"I'm done already," Fable gave him a shit-eating grin.

Aaron sighed then summoned a pile of bricks. "Go practice your earth manipulation then." With a token grumble, Fable began channeling what little ground type aura he could into the rocks. "How about Nostradamus?"

"Nos-what?"

"Nostradamus was a famous prophet. He was supposed to have perfect precognition."

"I am female, master. Please give me a female name."

"Fine… Psyclone? Get it? Because you're a psychic and flying type?"

"That sounds stupid," Fable said, looking up from his brick.

"…"

"Ok, fine, what about Isis? It's spelled I-S-I-S, but was pronounced closer to Iset. She was an Egyptian goddess, arguably the most important of them all short of Ra, the king of gods and the god of the sun. She was the goddess of femininity, magic, and nature. She was the mother of Horus, the god of kingship, but was also a friend to the sinners and downtrodden. She was the daughter of Geb and Nut, Earth and Sky, and possessed enough magic to be considered the most powerful in the pantheon. She was known as a healer, but could be cunning. It's said that once, she tricked Ra into telling her his secret name by having a serpent bite him. He came to her for the antidote only she possessed, but in saving him, she also gained power over him by learning his true name."

"Woah, sounds awesome… I think… I'm not sure how much of that I understood, but she was someone super strong, right?" Fable said.

"I-I'm not sure if I can live up to all of that, master," the newly christened Isis said shyly.

Aaron gave her a gentle smile and stroked her crest. "Of course you won't live up to it. I don't expect you to become a goddess right away… if ever. I do expect you to try. I expect you to heal and protect those precious to you. I expect you to hone your psychic powers so much that anyone else would be in awe and call it magic. I expect you to be a light for those like yourself, the downtrodden and hopeless. Think you can do that?"

"I'll try, master. Please train me!" Isis cried with far more conviction than she held before.

 **You have gained 5 REP with Isis! You have gained 2 REP with Fable! You have gained 1 REP with Dialga, Palkia, and Arceus!**

" **You're a sap,"** Giratina snorted.

" **What sister means, is that you have a way with words. You might become quite the inspirational general one day,"** Dialga added.

"Whatever, you guys."

"Hmm?" Isis tilted her head to the side in the universal sign for curiosity.

"Nothing, Isis."

"Boss thinks he can talk to the primordial dragon gods," Fable snickered.

"Ehh? That's amazing, master!"

"You believe me?"

"You could be lying, then I'd just be humoring a crazy person. Or, you could be telling the truth, then I should avoid upsetting my master who can talk to the gods."

Aaron picked a pecha berry out of his inventory and took a big bite. 'This stuff is seriously addictive.' "Seeing how we've got that cleared, I'm going to go ahead and scan you with the pokedex so I know what we're working with."

 **Natu (Isis): The tiny avians are notorious for being flightless. Despite this, they are not hindered in any way thanks to their powerful jumping ability. Older, more experienced natu are capable of using their budding psychic powers as well as their wings to help them reach higher branches. If threatened, they will Teleport away like abra. However, due to their youth and relatively weak psychic power, they cannot teleport far. In some parts of Johto, natu are seen as good omens while their evolution, xatu, are seen as bad omens. It is thought by these superstitious folk that natu only evolve to ward off tragedy. If all is well, there is no reason for evolution; if disaster approaches, natu will evolve en masse to protect themselves and their home.**

 **This natu has the ability, Magic Bounce, and knows the moves Teleport, Night Shade, Haze, and Peck.**

"Woah… you're actually really awesome, huh, Isis?"

"Thank you," she preened.

"If you don't mind, can I learn some of those skills?"

"I don't understand, how can a human learn pokemon moves?"

Aaron grinned and palmed the natu again. "You see, my little friend, I can learn skills based on the pokemon I have. In this case, you. Don't question it; it's just how my aura manifests."

"I see. In that case, I don't mind."

"Thank you kindly," With a triumphant smile, he picked the three skills he'd find useful.

 **You have learned Night Shade! You have learned Teleport! You have learned Haze! You have acquired Soul Affinity! You have acquired Mind Affinity! You have acquired Space Affinity! You have acquired Ice Affinity!**

 **Soul Affinity: 5%**

 **Passive: Improves damage and resistance by Affinity Mastery.**

 **Mind Affinity: 2%**

 **Passive: Improves damage and resistance by Affinity Mastery.**

 **Space Affinity: 2%**

 **Passive: Improves damage and resistance by Affinity Mastery.**

 **Ice Affinity: 5%**

 **Passive: Improves damage and resistance by Affinity Mastery.**

 **Night Shade: Level 1 (0%)**

 **Passive: Improves Soul Affinity by 5%.**

 **Active: Deals damage equal to level.**

 **Cost: 15 MP**

 **Teleport: Level 1 (0%)**

 **Passive: Improves Mind Affinity by 2% and Space Affinity by 2%.**

 **Active: Allows you to move to a marked location.**

 **You can maintain 1 marker at a time.**

 **Cost: 50 MP**

 **Haze: Level 1 (0%)**

 **Passive: Improves Ice Affinity by 5%.**

 **Active: Creates a thick fog.**

 **Cost: 10 MP**

"Yes! This is awesome!" he let out a happy shout until his neighbor next door banged on the walls to keep him quiet. "Ok, so I learned Haze, Night Shade, and Teleport from you, Isis, so thank you very much for that."

"You're welcome. Can you really use my moves now?"

"Yeah, the boss took Agility from me. Apparently, he can learn any skill from his pokemon."

"That's kind of right," Aaron said, a massive smile on his face, "I can learn a skill from my pokemon every five levels. I'm level 15 right now and including the first skill point I used to get Agility, I know four moves."

"Cool, now what?" Fable asked. "Are you going to try to get overpowered teammates so you can learn moves like Draco Meteor?"

"Hahaha, no. I mean, I definitely plan on ripping off Earthquake from you and Psychic from Isis when you both learn them so it's not like I'll be lacking powerful moves just because I don't have a dragonite or something. I'd rather see where this goes."

"I'm glad you're not farming us for moves, master."

 **Your REP with Isis and Fable increased by 1!**

"Now, it's only around 1:30 pm so how about we go train a bit?"

X

Morgan stood across the field from his little sister. He'd never admit it, but he was proud of her. She'd grown up a bit socially awkward, sure, but that was normal, right? He just wished she'd take her training more seriously. He didn't expect her to be champion, or even get all eight badges, but he was of the firm opinion that training could only be a good thing. Despite all pretenses, the world wasn't as civilized as it pretended to be and one way or another, he'd have her ready. With a leisurely flick, he tossed a pokeball onto the training field. "Dry Fly, let's do this," he called even before the telltale light of the pokeball dimmed.

Morgan's masquerain took the field with a droning buzz. Its large, eye-like antennae loomed down at Sophie. "Morgan, you know I hate bug types!"

"Yes, well you're going to learn to face them one way or another. Dry Fly is the weakest on my team in terms of pure combat potential so he's the best suited to train you anyway."

Seeing he wouldn't budge, Sophie reluctantly called out Corona. The young lion gazed around the field before its slanted eyes settled on the giant moth. Then, the air was filled with an unsettling hum that seemed to penetrate her skin and rattle her bones. Sophie and Corona stared into the masquerain's "eyes" and found they could not break eye contact. Then, an incredible pressure seemed to fill the air. No matter how they moved, the large eyes seemed to follow them, gauge them, _hunt them_. Suddenly, a loud clap rang through the air.

"Enough!" Morgan called, and the moth ended whatever it was doing. Trainer and pokemon alike collapsed to their knees with sweat stained brows. "Sophie, do you know what that was?"

"I-it was Intimidate, right?" she tried to level her voice, hating herself for how it shook and shuddered with every breath.

Surprisingly, her brother did not seem displeased with her performance. He gave her a gentle smile and a water bottle. "Right. Intimidate is a fairly uncommon ability, but most masquerain have it. Basically, it allows them to scare opponents and avoid confrontation in nature. It's more effective the weaker an opponent is in relation to the user and some Intimidate users can even outright paralyze prey, most notably arboks. I also use Dry Fly to get my newer privates to stop freezing up in high stress situations, like combat. If you can fight and operate while under Dry Fly's Intimidate, you're less likely to freeze up on missions. I want you to get used to this feeling. This feeling of dread, of being hunted, is nothing compared to the unease that a ghost pokemon or a truly powerful predator can provoke. I know it sucks, but please understand; I want you to be safe."

Sophie took a deep breath and called out both Shiner and Yuengling. "Guys, brace yourselves, we'll be here for a while."

Seeing her conviction, another, much more sinister smile made its way onto her brother's face. "Good, we'll start with getting you accustomed to moving under Intimidate. Then, Dry Fly will launch String Shot for you to dodge. That's likely all we can accomplish in a day, but we'll see."

X

Off into the woods and away from the town limits, Aaron could be seen with Fable on one shoulder and Isis nestled in his hair. He had purposely moved in the opposite direction as the training fields to avoid the accidental onlooker and he'd eventually stumbled on a suitable grove for practice. After pointing Fable to a brick, he sat himself down and looked inward. 'Haze only costs me 10 MP. I regain 29 MP per minute. If I assume that Haze will last at least a few minutes, I should be able to keep it up permanently without losing MP.' Nearby, Isis nestled onto a particularly soft patch of grass. 'Now… what the hell is ice type aura? Is it cold?' He tried to coax his aura to the surface and felt the familiar warmth cover him. He stopped and tried to focus on the notion of cold. 'Cold… ice… snow… the South Pole… It's not working…'

" **Of course not, you imbecile. Aura is the manifestation of the soul. Surface level thoughts aren't quite enough."**

'Thanks, centipede,' Aaron sniped back, his thoughts carrying an odd mix of venom and gratitude. 'So if aura is somehow deeper than cognition, how do I access it? The soul is typically associated with the subconscious, will, emotion, and natural affinity. It must mean that my soul has somehow acquired an affinity for ice. But how do I access that part of me? I've always thought of aura as warm, the soul as a flickering flame in my body. It's not like I can hypno… Oh shit…' He sat there for half an hour trying to convince himself that aura was cold, not warm. Eventually, he reached a breakthrough.

'The principle quality of ice is that it is cold, but that is a lie. It is not an immutable truth because the concept of cold is anchored in our perceptions of the world and our perceptions are mutable. Ice is colder than me, but not absolutely cold. It would be more appropriate to extrapolate the concept of ice to an immutable truth of the world based on Arceus' plates. In this case, that means that the Icicle Plate is actually a misnomer and is not based on water at all. It's based on the idea of absolute zero. Absolute zero is the absence of heat, or rather, the absence of all motion, even subatomic motion. If this is true, mastering ice aura isn't about being cold, cold is merely a tangential outcome; it's about being still.'

 **For understanding one of many secrets behind Arceus' power and the truth of the Icicle Plate, you have gained 2 REP with Arceus, 2 WIS, and 1 INT!**

" **Well done, an excellent use of deductive reasoning,"** praised Arceus.

"Somehow, I feel like you're making fun of me," Aaron grumbled.

The air was filled with a raucous snort only Aaron could hear. It held an almost mystical quality, simultaneously out of this world and yet so in tune with everything that he couldn't help but feel that even its echo belonged in the shimmering air. " **Daddy dearest tends to do that. He doesn't mean to, but he ends up sounding like an arrogant asshole anyway."**

" **Don't make me put you in time out."**

"I've seen children more mature than you."

"Umm, master, who are you talking to?" Isis quirked her head.

"A bunch of overgrown lizards and their big daddy goat," Aaron answered with a sigh. "Anyway, let me focus now that I've made a breakthrough." Saying so, Aaron closed his eyes and began what he would only describe as the process of being still. After a few minutes, he managed to find a core, one aspect of his aura that felt cool, somehow _calmer_ than the rest. Slowly, that aura seemed to infect the rest, causing the dancing flames to still and warmth to chill until it finally reached the surface. "Haze!" A thick mist filled the clearing and settled on all present with an unsettling breeze.

"Congratulations, master, it feels like you succeeded."

"Ah, thanks, Isis. I think I'm going to keep it up to make sure people don't notice that I'm the one using these skills. If anyone stumbles here, I can pretend you were the one using Haze."

"Eh? But it's cold and damp," Fable whined, "I don't like this."

"I need to practice this skill somehow anyway, Fable."

"Fine, but do you mind if I do something else? Turning rocks to sand nonstop gets really old really quick."

"Yeah, I've been thinking and I think you should help Isis train anyway." Aaron got up and drew an "X" on a tree. "I'm going to maintain Haze while I practice Night Shade. Fable, you're going to try to sneak up on her. Isis, for now, just shout to let him know if you can sense him coming, okay? Eventually, I want you to be able to use a combination of psychic, sound, and air manipulation to have a type of sonar. Then, maybe when you evolve in to xatu or learn Future Sight, you'll even be able to tell what your opponent will do before they move, a vision that's even better than sight. But for now, baby steps. Try to find out which you're best at using, Isis: sound, air pressure, or psychic energy. Then develop one sense after the other until you can integrate them together."

With a resolute nod, Isis moved to one side of the clearing and Fable followed, leaving Aaron to ponder ghost type aura. "Night Shade!" Aaron thrust his palm forward, but received only a blue fizzle for his efforts. 'Well there goes hoping for an easy affinity… Aura is called the light of the soul, but I only acquired Soul Affinity after learning a ghost type skill. What's the difference? Say, Giratina, want to help me out?'

" **Why are you asking me?"**

'You're the First Phantom, the Great Ghost, the Big Boogie, right? Who else would be better to ask than you? Well, Arceus, but he'd probably say, "Knowledge earned is more valuable than knowledge gained," or something equally philosophical but useless.'

" **You're not wrong…"**

'And you'd be pissing off your dad if you help me…' Aaron trailed off in a teasing note.

" **True… but I don't like being manipulated, so either be more discrete or figure it out on your own, idiot. And if you ever call me the 'Big Boogie' again, I'll rip out your spine and hang you with it."**

'Damn…' Aaron collapsed bonelessly onto the grass. 'Ok, if I want to understand ghost types, I should look at Giratina. I don't think I'm wrong there. Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina have drastically different domains but share the dragon type. This implies that ghost type energy is somehow directly linked to Giratina's domain. Her domain is Distortion, Chaos, and Antimatter. But what the hell are they? Antimatter suggests that it is somehow the opposite of existence, but in what way? The Distortion World had water and land and air… They followed strange laws in the games, but they did exist. Therefore, antimatter does not refer to the opposite of matter in her case. Ghost implies spirit… Say, you can at least tell me if I'm right, can't you?'

" **If you beg,"** the first ghost sniffed.

" **Yes, we'll tell you,"** Dialga cut in, " **It's rare that I can irritate my sister with so little effort."**

'Excellent,' Aaron conveniently ignored the subsequent squabbling, 'My guess is that the world, this physical plane of existence, is only one half of the universe. The universe is in fact divided into two, the physical and spiritual planes. Giratina is said to be the queen who rules over the Distortion World, a realm that balances against this one. This means the Distortion World and what I think of as the Spirit World in many fantasy canon are actually very similar places. In the physical world, physical matter is dominant, and only sparks of spirit, our aura, can be found. In the Distortion World, it's the exact opposite, spiritual matter is dominant and are probably at a much higher concentration. Hence, the term "antimatter" is used because it is literally the opposite of physical matter. Those that can connect to this Distortion are called ghosts. How close am I?'

 **For understanding one of many secrets behind Arceus' and Giratina's powers, and unlocking one secret of the Spooky Plate, you have gained 1 REP with Arceus and 2 REP with Giratina. You have gained 2 WIS and 1 INT!**

Having reasoned out the nature of ghost type aura, Aaron figured that the best way to harness it would be to condense it. With only a 5% affinity, it took a while, but he did ultimately manage. After compressing his aura to a sufficient amount, he tried again. "Night Shade!" This time, he received the deep violet shade he was looking for, but it still felt off, as though something was missing. A few more tries later and he felt his aura connect to something outside of himself. Drawing on that power, he finally managed to launch a proper Night Shade. The bolt of black and red struck the tree, though slightly askew from his intended target. 'Now to work on my aim…'

X

The four primordials looked down from the Mystri Stage. The stage is a unique construct, both divine and yet an indisputable part of the natural order. Its nature is that of a crucible, for it was where the three dragons were "born." It is a bridge between the physical and spiritual planes that allowed Aaron, the dead, to meet with the divine. It is the epicenter, existing above all time and all space, able to manifest as one of the four dictates. And yet, it is nothing more than another wing of the grand palace that is the Hall of Origin. To be specific, it had most recently become a makeshift theater and the four most senior deities of the universe had taken to calling it theirs.

" **You are surprisingly kind, sister,"** Palkia hummed, away from the microphone that was the manifested connection between them and their new entertainment. Had any mortal stood before him, his voice would have carried the weight of an infinite ocean, surging in an unstoppable whirlpool around the hearer.

His sister shrugged as she twirled a single violet strand of ether around her ghostly claw. " **I don't know what you're talking about, brother dear."**

To Palkia's other side, the dragon of time let out a grating snort that rang like sharpened swords scraping together. " **Try saying that without holding Aaron's aura in your claws. No one can access the Distortion without your permit, just as Celebi had to pass my own trial before she became a timewalker. Seeing his effort and how close he came in his philosophical pondering, you connected your aura to his for a moment and dragged it into the Distortion."**

Giratina let out a distinctly undignified scoff, " **I'm just keeping to the Game. If he learns a skill, we should make sure he can use it."**

The three siblings began to bicker and their father vanished into motes of light to escape the headache. ' **You many not know it, daughter, but you are changing because of that boy. Now, let us see how far…'**

Arceus appeared in the main hall of the Hall of Origin only to find he was not alone. " **What do you want from me, Yveltal, Xerneas?"**

The guardian of life was currently nestled atop the horns of his counterpart in his human form. He wore an azure overcoat that would be centuries outdated by the modern fashion of humans. The coat was embedded with peerless gems along every seam, giving it a warm, inviting glow that simultaneously seemed otherworldly. The man himself had healthy, alabaster skin, pale blonde hair, and eyes that seemed to shine in every hue in the universe and then some, each eye independently changing color in a pattern only known to him. Beneath his overcoat, he wore a white, frilled shirt and matching white pants held up by a belt. His most noticeable feature however, was the pair of antlers curling over his head in a majestic display of color and regal strength. Beneath him, Yveltal pretended to sneeze and flung him from her head.

" **What did I do to deserve that, sister?"** Xerneas said crossly.

" **Sorry, I choked on the sheer fruitiness of your outfit,"** the giant avian goddess sniffed. " **Father, I've never been good at wordplay so I'll be direct. We want in. Whatever game you and our elder siblings have going on, we want to buy in."**

Arceus sweatdropped, " **I suppose you wouldn't leave if I told you I have no idea what you're talking about?"** The two glanced at one another then shook their heads no. " **I thought not. How did you find out?"**

Yveltal waved a wing as though to say it wasn't much. " **When the Origin of the Universe regularly and suspiciously goes missing, and when his absences coincide with the typical human day/night cycle, it is fairly obvious that you are interfering in mortal affairs, father. For that matter, I imagine Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina are involved as well. Whatever it is, it should be supremely amusing if you and all three primordial dragons are so caught up in it. And seeing how those three love to gamble against each other, it must be a bet of some sort."**

" **Ah, when Yveltal told me that you were working with humanity again, I just had to get involved too~"** Xerneas sang, " **After all, life is my domain and humans are the most interesting forms of life, always so hasty, always so malleable~"**

" **Does anyone else know?"**

Yveltal gave a halfhearted shrug, " **I wouldn't put it past Zygarde. Kalos is as much his territory as it is ours after all. Beyond that, I couldn't say. I doubt he'll get involved though. He's fairly laid back as long as no one disrupts the ecosystem too heavily."**

" **Very well, I trust you will not directly influence his life. Although, I won't object to you testing him along his journey. His name is Aaron Phantomweiss and he is…"**

X

By the time Aaron called an end to their training session, Isis was capable of pinpointing Fable's location with relative accuracy. To their collective surprise, she found it easier to locate him when he used Quick Attack and Agility versus when he tried to walk normally. Aaron theorized that not only did Fable make more noise, he displaced more air and emitted more aura. He effectively shone like a bright beacon rather than a muted feeling at the edges of Isis' senses. Fable had taken to carrying logs and large stones while moving to train his own abilities.

Aaron had alternated between firing Night Shade at a tree, two fingers extended like an imaginary gun, and firing actual rubber bullets with his Heckler whenever his aura levels dropped low, sustaining Haze all the while. He was happy to find that due to Haze's obscuring nature, he had to try harder to see and focus on the target, further improving his DEX and providing a greater challenge for his Marksmanship. By the end of the day, Night Shade had advanced to level 4, Haze to level 8, and Marksmanship to level 12. He also gained 2 DEX for his trouble.

'I'm grateful for the levels, but what's the point of leveling Night Shade and Haze if nothing about these skills changed? They have the exact same MP requirement and effects.'

" **Levels are simply a way for you to track your progress. Night Shade may require the same MP, but you should feel the ghost type aura come more easily to you now, same with Haze. Who knows, maybe you'll make a breakthrough at higher levels,"** Arceus hinted.

'Good to know.' Aaron looked at his two partners. "Alright, you two, good work today. Let's head home. I'm going to try to Teleport us back to the hotel room." The two pokemon quickly scrambled onto his person. He sighed, 'I'm going to have to get all philosophical about this again, aren't I?'

" **Not really, you already know how teleportation as a concept works. I think you have a good grasp of what psychic type aura is supposed to be as well,"** Palkia said.

'Well, yeah. Teleportation is the translocation from one point to another without movement and can only be done by either folding space so the two points meet, which would create something like a gate, or temporarily transcending outside of the space-time continuum to re-enter in a different point. This is the basics of sci-fi after all. I'm assuming this version is the former since the skill didn't grant me a time affinity to go along with it. And psychic or mental aura is what I assume to be a lot like yin chakra in Naruto, the manifestation of the mind that impacts the physical plane. The difference between this and ghost type aura should be that it doesn't directly access the user's soul or the Distortion.'

 **For recalling the basics of a theoretical skill, you have gained 1 INT! For recalling the basics of mental energies, you have gained 1 INT!**

'Cool, so if I were to put it together, it literally becomes mind over matter.'

" **Yes, so are you going to try it?"**

Aaron grinned and said to his teammates, "Hold on tight!" He focused on the marker he had initially left at the hotel room. "Teleport!"

Space folded upon itself and for a brief moment, he felt as though he could see everything in the town. Every image seemed distorted like they were reflected in a mirror funhouse. An instant later, he was back in his hotel room. He looked around and found two passengers suspiciously missing. "Oh, fuck… I can't teleport with anyone else, can I?"

" **Correct, just because I am making an exception and allowing you some power over my domain does not mean I will permit you to bring anyone else along. At least, not yet. Prove your mastery of the skill and perhaps I will relent,"** Palkia said.

"Fine, those two are going to be so mad," Aaron whined, "I should go get them…"

X

When Aaron vanished, Fable fell ungracefully to the floor. Isis chortled and floated down onto his head. "Can we agree that boss is an ass?"

"I'm sure it was an accident," she smiled, "He seems like the big thinker types that mess up on the small details."

 **Omake: The Professor's Lessons: Day 4: The League** **and Limitations of the Trainer's License**

"I told you awhile back that I'd go over the League and its various structures with you. You were a part of the Opelucid City Watch so I'm assuming you have at least a passing understanding of the military aspect of the Unovan League, but pay attention anyway because Kalos is different. Political infrastructure isn't exactly my own area of expertise, but we all must know about it."

'But I don't know anything about the Unovan League… Isn't the champion basically the king?'

"Unlike the other leagues, Kalos is unique in that it still maintains a peerage." At Aaron's blank look, Augustine gave a light smile. "I mean nobles; Kalos still has a nobility. We were a monarchy. Roughly three hundred years ago, shortly following the catastrophic war against Unova, the royal family abdicated. You have to understand, at that time, Kalos was utterly devastated. Nobles split into numerous factions and began gathering power for a civil war that was all but guaranteed to ignite. The strongest trainers that could have kept the peace were all dead in the war against Unova or had gone rogue to serve the highest bidder. The people lost faith in the peerage and mass hysteria took hold."

"So, it ended in some kind of class warfare then? Who won, nobles or peasants?"

"You're awfully nonchalant about this," he said with disapproval.

"Of course, it's all in the past after all."

"True enough, I suppose. No one won. When the dust cleared, there were so many deaths, so many ecosystems that had been irreparably changed, that we were forced to start anew. An agreement called the Lumiose Peace Accords was signed between leaders of the peasant and merchant alliance and the highest ranking nobles. Basically, three key changes came out of this: First, Kalos would never again have a king. Its royal line was reduced to that of dukes and its territory drastically diminished."

"Duke? Isn't that the highest noble title or something?"

"Yes, perhaps it seems ridiculous to call a duchy's worth a reduction by any means, but it was the easiest way to avoid reigniting war with the loyalist faction. Second, a post higher than the duke was created, the 'grand duke.' This post would replace the king as the highest law in the land. The grand duke, duchess at the moment, has the power to create and enforce laws, act as the chief ambassador to other states, declare war as commander in chief, and of course, pick the members of the elite four. Third, and perhaps most important, the title of grand duchess is not hereditary although many other titles in the peerage are."

"You lost me at the third point… If Diantha is both champion and grand duchess, then does that mean that anyone who beats her will be the next grand duke/duchess? If so, why have noble titles at all?"

"In the simplest terms, yes, the next champion is the next grand duke; that said, it's much more complicated than that. Just because you have the strongest pokemon doesn't necessarily mean you are the most qualified to lead a country or if worse comes to worst, go to war. That's why typically, the former champion takes the position of either the most senior elite four or an independent advisor. That's Drasna currently by the way. As for what the nobles do, there is a legislative branch called the Chamber of Peers that makes laws for Diantha's approval. While it's true that Diantha can introduce and pass legislation herself, called executive orders, she doesn't have time for every minute detail so the chamber deals with that."

"I see, so basically, the champion and elite four make up the executive branch and the Chamber of Peers makes up the legislative branch, though power clearly lies with the executives."

"Yes, and the elite four are given the title 'duke' or 'duchess' for the duration of their lives. There are actually only three inheritable duchies in Kalos. At any rate, the elite four do more than just battle. When necessary they can weigh in as the highest court in the land, with Diantha being the tiebreaker, and each of them lead important ministries. Wikstrom for example, is the General of the Kalos Royal Armies. The 'royal' title was another minor concession granted to the traditionalists during the peace accords. Malva leads the Ministry of National Intelligence, Siebold the Royal Trade Commission, and Drasna the Ministry of Internal Affairs. And of course, there are dozens of aides and lesser ministers that help them. Finally, and what you're most familiar with, they collectively oversee the gym circuit and induct new gym leaders."

"Sounds good, but I doubt I'll ever gain a noble title so what does this have to do with me?"

"If you're planning to beat Diantha, then it has lots to do with you. You should know the political system of the country you're trying to take over after all."

"I don't really want to beat Diantha…" Aaron gave a nervous laugh, "I know it's every trainer's dream to be a champion, but that sounds like a ton of work. If I ever took her crown, I'd just give it back right away. I much prefer wandering." 'And I think my four stalkers would kill me if I spent all day doing paperwork. It'd ruin their entertainment or something.'

"Fine, but know that trainers above the age of fifteen and with four badges or greater are automatically placed within the reserve forces of the Kalos Field Rangers. Typically, reserves are called upon to evacuate people when natural disasters strike or to help deal with a horde when the regular forces are not enough." The professor gave him a sly glance, "Of course, you could also be called upon for war. Still want to be a trainer?"

"I don't think I can refuse… let's call it divine will…"

"Whatever your motives, you are removed from the reserves six years after you are first entered. In other words, for most, at around the age of 24. You're 23 now, so you'll likely be the oldest reserve member at 26 or 30. At that point, you may as well enter the armed forces for an officer's career."

"Good to know, thanks for this, professor. Just out of curiosity, does Kalos have a navy or air force? You said we had the Kalos Royal Armies, but that implies plurality, right?"

"Bingo, yes we do. I didn't mention them because you're more likely to run into the KFR than any other service branch, but they do exist. They're not particularly large, and like the Unovan counterpart, are composed of trainer and non-trainer forces. While it's true a human can't combat most evolved pokemon effectively, a gun is still a gun and an experienced commando won't panic just because a pokemon lunges at them. At any rate, this concludes my overview of the Kalos League. Any other questions?"

"Nope, thanks, professor. If I have anything else, I'll send you an email or look it up myself."

 **Author's Note**

 **If you play the game again, you'll actually find a black belt trainer archetype inside Shabboneau Castle next to the Mawilite. The Saffron City thing isn't random either. Morris trained at the fighting type gym there before Sabrina overthrew them.**

 **Why did Aaron have so much trouble against Morris? Simple, being superhuman is not the same as being able to use said powers without discretion. Imagine if you woke up one day and found out you had psychic powers. Now imagine what would happen if you started lifting cars out of the way for a faster commute to work or other mundane things. Humans fear what they do not understand and Aaron is fully aware of what such attention could get him, even in the pokemon world.**

 **Aaron received 360 EXP from the hitmonchan (level 24 trained hitmonchan divided with an EXP Share yield). He received 75 EXP from Morris as a trained combatant.**

 **I mention Intimidate and paralysis together as a nod to arbok's semi-unique move, Glare.**

 **I am writing under the impression that if a lesser Legend like Alto Mare's Latias can have a human form, so can every one of the other Legends, most definitely the stronger ones. As for why Xerneas takes human form but Yveltal does not, that will be explained later.**

 **I hope the political system I described makes sense. Of all the Lessons omake, this is probably the most important one thus far. It'll matter in the long run so I decided to offer a bit of historical background. It of course coincides with Pokemon X/Y lore. The Kalos-Unova War actually took place after AZ. AZ lived 3,000 years ago. The war took place roughly 300 years ago according to the Parfum Palace. Why does that matter? It means that AZ's weapon/resurrection device was not the main reason for the fall of the monarchy.**

 **Also, I'd like some feedback on Isis. Yes, Isis is blind. I decided on a natu for several reasons. First, I was going to pick a gardevoir in order to match the fairy theme Kalos had going and to give him some connection to Diantha, but I felt that gardevoir was too overused a pokemon in fanfics. I wanted to introduce something unique. It's inspired by Traveler's use of hypno. Second, I battle competitively and I'm very interested in lower Smogon tiers. Xatu has an amazing support movepool and I wanted a more intelligent fighter. Finally, Isis' moveset is already invaluable for Aaron. He learned his first long range move that scales extremely well with his level in Night Shade, an ability that cancels out buffs and debuffs as well as providing cover, and the all important teleportation skill. She will contribute something else that's vital to his overall repertoire, but you'll have to wait as always.**

 **As always, constructive feedback is appreciated.**

 **Pat reon Sorre**


	7. Chapter 7

**Preface**

 **I know, an update? Weird, but such is life. I actually didn't plan on releasing this for another two weeks, but decided to push this out because I'm canceling my other story, Finding My Image. The reasoning for that is under chapter six of FMI. I'll likely set another story to take its place. For a lot of you, this won't be much of a loss since you all seem to like this one so much more. For the few that really liked FMI, my apologies.**

 **Anyway, please let me know what you think and if you'd like to support my hobby, find me on Pat Reon under the name Sorre**

 **Cheers!**

 **Chapter Seven:** **Lupin**

In the dead of night, a silhouette flickered through the shadows cast by the castle walls. Despite the dim lighting provided by the twinkling stars, the figure danced from parapet to parapet with the nimbleness of a liepard. With one silent leap, it landed between two parapets, just out of sight of the guards. With a second leap, it fell flush against the stone tower, blending perfectly against the shadows. After but a moment's respite, it dove with inhuman grace off the curtain walls and into the bailey, landing with a muffled thud that went unnoticed by the guards. After a compact forward roll to bleed off the momentum, it crouched behind a convenient tree.

" **So..."** came the familiar drawl of the chaos dragon, " **Why are you sneaking into the fat one's castle? Aren't you aura guardians supposed to be all about honor and justice? You're breaking and entering, you know?"**

'Technically, I'm not breaking anything. I'm just entering without permission,' Aaron scoffed.

" **I can't say I approve, Aaron,"** Dialga said.

" **Really, brother? You're the one that goes on about justice and the rule of law. Don't you think the fat one deserves some retribution?"**

" **I do. He has neglected a mere hatchling. He was unable to see beyond her disability and tried his best to abandon her without rousing the negative stigma of leaving her with the pokemon center. Further, he has proven himself to be a spineless coward who gave away a historical relic that did not belong to him, all to hold on to his own wealth. He is undeserving of his noble title. However, as you humans say, 'Two wrongs don't make a right.'"**

Aaron shuffled closer to the keep, but quickly ducked back into the shadows as a guard passed. Once he saw the guard's flashlight dim into the distance, he stealthily crawled closer to the keep and the walled off practice arena he fought Morris in. To no one's surprise, he found it locked. After a moment's deliberation, he spied a window on what would be the third floor if the arena wasn't just one large vacancy. 'Think of this as the viscount's just deserts, Dialga. Besides, it's not like I'm robbing him blind because I want his money or anything. I just want the mega stone. I think we'd all agree that the mega stone belongs to someone who can use it.'

" **Not that I disagree with this necessarily, but you don't have a mawile either,"** Palkia gently reminded the human. " **Do you plan to specifically seek one out?"**

'No, but the bonus objective of Mega Packrat is to give away a mega stone to a worthy wielder, not just collect them all. I fully intend on it.' Aaron ducked into a shrub and used its foliage to mask the soft blue of Agility's activation. With speed that could match a speeding car, he managed to run straight up the wall and grab the windowsill before his momentum died. Securing himself with one hand, he summoned the one object that would be crucial for the burglary: duct tape.

" **I have no idea how you humans manage to rely so much on that stuff,"** Giratina huffed in amusement.

'You don't understand. Duct tape is the embodiment of manliness. It's tough, resilient, committed, and an all 'round fix to just about any problem,' he shot back with inordinate pride. With a liberal use of his teeth, he managed to cover the window. He pulled back his fist and punched in the glass. The duct tape acted like an adhesive that held the shard together even after being shattered and Aaron shot the dragons a mental grin before peeling off the stuff and tossing them into his inventory. ' _Now_ I'm breaking and entering.'

" **That was rather impressive,"** Arceus mused, " **Crude, but impressive nonetheless. Could it be I've resurrected a deviant?"**

'I don't want to hear it. The only deviant here is your daughter, thank you.' Aaron shuffled into the room, making sure to avoid the sharp pieces of the window. He landed in a forward roll then got up in a single, fluid motion. 'Hell yeah, I've been trying to nail that ninja roll stuff.'

" **You're getting too into this. Could it be you're a chuunibyou? You even bought a mask from one of the festival vendors that set up early."** Giratina teased.

Aaron adjusted a wolf-like mask, reminiscent of a mightyena, and strolled leisurely towards the statue, his pink prize glistening in the moonlight. 'How do you even know what that means?'

" **We've got to amuse ourselves somehow while you sleep, Aaron,"** Palkia noted drily, " **Sister's grown fond of some of your original world's 'anime culture.' Brother finds the history of a world that developed without our involvement fascinating and I myself enjoy reading about the theories you humans crafted about the vastness of my domain. Father, when he is not governing our universe, has taken to watching the cultures and worship practices of your various human races."**

Aaron gave a noncommittal hum but noted that information for future reference. The Legendaries, or at least the Primordials, could access other worlds. 'So, let's get this straight: Dialga is a historian. Palkia is a physicist. Arceus is something of an anthropologist. And of course Giratina is a lazy shut-in deadbeat layabout. Sounds about right.'

 **You have gained 1 REP with Palkia.**

Ignoring the rampant cursing and laughter, Aaron stared up at the statue. He wasn't going to break it, despite what he felt the viscount deserved. Instead, he called out Fable and Isis. "Look, guys," he quailed before the tiny bird's glare, "Ok, listen. Fable, you're going to carry Isis up that statue's arm and place her directly on the guard. That's the part of the sword that looks like it has teeth. See the pink gemstone? We're stealing it. Isis is going to peck it out of its socket so just point her in the right direction."

"I-I'm not comfortable with stealing, master," Isis mumbled.

"If it makes you feel better, we're at the viscount's castle and stealing that gem will piss him off to no end."

"Huh, suddenly, this seems only fair," she mused. "Ok, Fable, carry me up."

Fable slapped an ear to his forehead in exasperation. "I can't believe you're so quick to change your mind."

"You have no idea what it was like living with that man," she spat with much more venom than a bird her size had any right to possess.

"Fine, fine, it's not like I care one way or the other. What's so special about the stone anyway?"

"Not now, let's get this over with as quickly as possible," Aaron muttered. "For now, get the gem and I'll return you. Then, I'm going to Teleport back to our room."

"Cool." Fable grabbed his teammate in one ear and dashed towards the sword. A few minutes later, Aaron had the stone in his hand. He casually dropped a note he'd prepared just for this moment then blinked away.

X

"Did you catch his face?" a terse voice filled her communication unit.

She pressed a button on the side of her navy blue helm with practiced ease and zoomed out. "No," she replied, "He was wearing a mask, mightyena by the looks of it. Shall I continue with the plan, doctor?"

A quiet hum filled the air before, "No, we've got something more valuable than money from this little jaunt. Specifically, we know that there is a new player in town and he is your physical equal if not superior. I wonder… is he a psychic like the famed Sabrina? Or perhaps, he is using an advanced expansion suit like you. No matter, discovery is the joy of science after all."

"You promised me money," the woman bit out.

"So I did. Rest assured, I will pay for your daughter's care. Your payment is not contingent upon the continuation of this mission. Return to base, Essentia."

X

As soon as Aaron arrived in his hotel room, he was greeted with multiple game alerts.

 **For stealing the Mawilite, entering the Moonlit World, and creating the persona "Lupin," you have gained 2 REP with Giratina!**

 **For acquiring the Mawilite, you have gained 500 EXP and all attributes have increased by 2!**

 **You have leveled up!**

Aaron plopped down onto the bed and called out his partners. "Great job, you two," he said. He tossed the mega stone into the air and caught it.

"So, wanna tell us what the big deal is with that stone, boss?"

"Sure, it's a mega stone." Seeing the blank looks, he sighed and explained. "A mega stone is a stone keyed to the aura of a certain species. This one is keyed to mawile. It can allow a species to transcend and temporarily evolve into a stronger form. For example, mawile, when mega evolved, gains the ability Huge Power, much like you have, Fable."

"Awesome, can we mega evolve?"

"Nope, neither diggersby nor xatu are known for having mega stones," Aaron said. "One of my personal goals is to collect every single one out here. Maybe, if I find a mawile that manages to impress me, I'll pass it along."

"So… we did that for no reason then?" Fable said with a little frustration in his voice.

Aaron smirked and picked up Isis who yelped but snuggled into the crook of his arm a moment later. "In a way, yes. We don't gain anything material from having this; I don't even plan on selling it or anything. But, it gets Isis some much needed retribution."

"Thank you, master," the bird cooed from his arm.

X

Morning came and Aaron found himself once again dining with Sophie in a restaurant attached to the hotel. His plate was piled high with two almond croissants, an egg, jam, and three sausages. Like the France of his world, Aaron found that Kalos favored sweets for breakfast, but he did manage to acquire some savory foods. Next to him, Fable and Isis nibbled on their own share. Aaron was mildly surprised to learn that the natu line could eat more than veggies and happily obliged with half a sausage to accompany her pile of berries and greens.

"I have no idea how you're eating something so salty in the morning," Sophie sniffed as he popped one of the sausages into his mouth. "You're going to get fat and I'm going to laugh."

Aaron munched his food before smacking his lips loudly. "Aura," he said like that should explain everything.

She scowled because it did. "So, I take it that the natu is a new addition? Want to introduce us?"

Isis knew generally that there were other people around her so faced Sophie and gave a short bobbing nod. Aaron chuckled and rubbed a spot behind her crest, causing her to preen. "She's Isis. She's adorable. Try to be more like her," he teased.

"Oh, please. I'm gorgeous and you know it."

"Oh? Did every beautiful woman in the world die while I was asleep? What a tragedy!" Aaron wailed, then smiled sheepishly at other patrons as multiple people began to stare.

Sophie glared at him for a moment but settled with taking a sip from her coffee. "You're a jerk."

"And proud of it," he struck a majestic pose, though with a bunnelby and natu for company, he ended up looking like a child who never quite finished growing up. "So, what are you doing today? I'm going to go visit Parfum Palace. I hear the duchess has the flute."

"I actually don't have any plans. It'd be nice to just relax and do nothing for a change."

"Didn't you do that yesterday?" Aaron quirked an eyebrow. "I thought you were busy extorting your brother's hard earned funds?"

Sophie felt heat rise to her cheeks as she glowered at her companion. "I did no such thing. Besides, he got back at me by forcing me to train with him. Who even makes a girl run through ranger-grade training exercises anyway?"

Aaron chuckled as a growlithe from a neighboring table wandered over. Fable slapped it away from his plate and the poor pup ran away with a pitiful yelp. "I take it your brother must care for you a lot to make you go through that."

"I know," she grumbled, "But that doesn't mean I enjoy it. I'm going to go back up to my room and watch TV. I've missed six episodes of my favorite show, you know."

"Suit yourself," he shrugged.

Sophie pulled out a newspaper she'd received from the hotel staff. "Have you seen this?" she asked as she pointed out one article in particular. Aaron's face paled markedly as he choked on a piece of bread.

 _ **Jewel Thief Steals Noble Heirloom!**_

 _By Orion Schumer_

 _Last night, roughly two hours past midnight, our local viscount's castle was burglarized by a thief. According to Viscount Shabboneau, a priceless heirloom was stolen from a statue of his ancestor. The heirloom, photo below, is a pink gemstone lodged into the guard of the statue's sword and has been in his family since even before they received their noble title._

 _That alone isn't strange however. If there is one thing to be said for jewel thieves, it's that they have an eye for quality and rarity after all. No, what's strange is that aside from a broken window, not a single other item was stolen or vandalized. "It's very likely that the culprit planned this job weeks if not months in advance," said Police Chief Garrison, "He or she is a professional. He or she moved silently, scaled a castle wall over 35 feet tall, evaded all guards, broke a window without making a sound, and avoided all distractions in lieu of accomplishing the objective. Rest assured, we have our best on the case."_

 _The broken window, their only clue, has only added to the confusion. Not a single fragment of glass could be located, almost as if the thief took the time to meticulously clean up every shard. He or she did leave a calling card however. We know now that they go by the moniker "Lupin." If anyone has any leads, please contact the Camphrier Police Department._

"Huh," Aaron tried to keep his voice level, "I hadn't known about that." 'At least they don't know anything I didn't want them to know. I should expect to be called in sometime soon. I'm the last person to visit after all.'

"Isn't this the same guy you said you'd visit?" she eyed him suspiciously.

"Yes, and I did. I visited him in the morning and after a battle, he gave me Isis as a prize and told me where I could find the flute. Why would I go back to steal a shiny rock?"

"True, you did get what you wanted… You don't have any idea who it could be?"

"Nope, maybe Lupin is some kind of master thief."

"Maybe…"

"Say, I hear there's a fireworks demonstration at the Parfum Palace tomorrow night. Interested?"

X

Far away, the man most of the world knew as Lysandre Lab's chief scientist leaned back into his chair. He had much to think about. Lysandre may rule over all pokemon as he sees fit, but one day, he would be the one to rule over all humans. The future was with his expansion suits after all. Every day, he was fine tuning his calibrations for the Essentia Project and he was only getting better.

'Now… how do I keep tabs on a superhuman thief?' he wondered. His eyes wandered towards a news article he'd pulled from the internet. As expected, the fat noble was complaining about his precious pink jewel being stolen. In the article was a picture of the lost object. 'A pink gem… with a swirl reminiscent of a marble… could it be?' It only took him a few moments to pull up one of Lysandre's research interests, the mega stone. 'There is too little information to find the thief myself… but why go through the trouble of hunting when I can lay the bait?' he smirked.

X

After breakfast, Aaron boarded a shuttle service to head to the palace. There, he bought an all day ticket and a "noble greeting" for a total of 140 credits. 'Fucking legalized robbery is what this is,' he grumbled. Nonetheless, the tour of the gilded palace proved to be an experience in fine art appreciation. Seemingly every corner of the castle was layered in either gold or some priceless artifact. It was interesting enough. The Moreau family used to be Kalos' royal house. As he learned from Professor Sycamore during his week in Lumiose, they eventually gave up the throne following the war against Unova.

The front garden was trimmed to perfection with the most verdant grass he'd ever seen; statues of floettes and florgeses made of pale marble dotted the field of exotic flowers. Inside, the wallpaper was a dazzling gold with honey brown accents that fit well with a luxurious burgundy carpet. Paintings of past kings, queens, and legendary generals dotted the wall.

"… People still wonder where the missing princess disappeared. Many say she still haunts these halls…" the guide droned on. Eventually, the tour group moved to the back garden for refreshments. There, Aaron spied a frantic butler that jogged his memory.

He walked over. "Sir, is there something wrong?"

The startled butler jumped in his suit a bit and gave a relieved sigh when he found that Aaron was not his boss. "N-nothing is wrong, dear sir. Please enjoy the refreshments."

"Are you sure? I'm not too hungry and it looks like you could use the help. At the very least, I could hear you out."

"W-well, I suppose. You see, the duchess told me she would like to see her Fu-fu, her furfrou, for tea today. That will be in half an hour and it seems the little rascal has gone and hid somewhere."

'Ah, there it is,' Aaron laughed internally. "Tell you what, mister butler, I'll use the excuse of seeing the gardens to look for your lost dog and you can go back inside to make sure it hasn't hidden in a corner somewhere. We'll meet back in 30 minutes here and if neither of us have it, at least we'll have tried."

 **Quest: Find Fu-fu!**

 **Details: Find Fu-fu for the duchess' butler in Parfum Palace within 30 minutes.**

 **Objectives: Find the dog.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- 200 EXP.**

 **\- TM Protect.**

 **Failure: NA**

"Thank you, kind sir. I promise you will be handsomely rewarded." So saying, the marginally calmer butler hurriedly walked back inside.

'In the games, Shauna helped to corner the furfrou… I know!' Aaron walked over to a group of children that looked to be on a school trip. "Hello everyone, are you enjoying yourselves?"

The four boys and girl were dressed in pleated jackets and white, button-down shirts. The jackets had a school crest that read "St. Martin's Preparatory Academy for Excellent Youths." One of the boys, seeming the leader, tossed his long blonde bangs behind him with an audible swish. "And what's it to you?" he said.

His nasally voice was already grating on Aaron's nerves. 'Well, fuck, I just had to find the stuck up brats.' "I just thought you looked a little bored just standing there. The garden is pretty large and I was hoping you five could help me out a little," Aaron said with as much charm as he could muster. 'Come on, nine Charisma, I know you're my lowest stat but it's still above average, right?'

"What did you need?" Another boy, this one with short brown hair and glasses, asked.

"I was following a furfrou and I saw it run off into the garden. Could you help me find it?"

After a moment, the brown haired boy and girl decided to tag along while the remaining three brushed him off in favor of more food.

X

'Ugh, most boring quest ever,' he whined. 'Combine the tedium of fetch quests, the frustration of escort missions, and sheer annoyance of Navi. Fuck Navi for ruining an amazing franchise.'

 **Quest Complete: Find Fu-fu!**

 **Details: Find Fu-fu for the duchess' butler in Parfum Palace within 30 minutes.**

 **Objectives: Find the dog.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- 200 EXP.**

 **\- TM Protect.**

" **I thought you wanted more quests,"** Giratina teased.

'Correction, I wanted more fulfilling quests that will allow me to both get stronger and see that I'm getting stronger. This… was a glorified errand.'

" **Does that mean you're going to ignore these so-called errands you remember from the games?"**

'Maybe, honestly, I'm not sure. I'm sure I'll ignore some of them, but some of them also have good rewards. Like this one, Protect is too useful to pass up, especially since the duchess' household was rich enough to cough up the reusable variant.'

" **Then stop complaining,"** Arceus rumbled. " **No matter how powerful you get, I hope you never think yourself above helping others."**

'Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't bitch about it to a captive audience.'

After twenty minutes of searching, the three of them had finally managed to corner the furfrou. Aaron had to bring out Fable to catch it before it could run off again. He could have done it himself, but he still wasn't good enough at aura manipulation to use Agility without the mini light show. The kids were somewhat miffed to find out that Aaron used them, but were mollified when Aaron pointed out that they weren't bored for the duration of the luncheon. After all, he made no promises, only a request to help find a furfrou.

Aaron followed the butler into the palace. 'I don't think I could ever get used to this much luxury.' The butler was overly eager to tell him more about the palace, things that even the tour guide had glossed over. Aaron learned that the gross worth of the palace and surrounding land was over 386 million credits. There were 48 servants on staff as well as eight tour guides and 22 administrative staff. 'That… is kind of fishy…'

" **Oh? How so?"** Palkia asked.

'With such a massive palace, there is naturally a proportionate cost of upkeep. Sure, the tickets to tour this place were expensive, but there's no way that would pay for all of this. It probably barely covers the tour guides and administrative staff.'

" **Don't forget why you're here, Aaron. She receives taxes from lesser nobility. Isn't that how your human peerages work?"**

'Yes, she does, but do you really think that's enough to keep this massive palace furnished and clean while providing for the livelihoods of so many servants? There is no way she has enough money to just ignore a viscount's annual taxes for some flute, historical artifact or not.'

" **And what if you're right? Will you offer to buy the flute?"**

'No, there's no way I have enough money to do that. Besides, she is clearly making enough money somehow. I'm not entirely sure it's through legal means though.'

" **She could just be a good businesswoman, you know."**

'She could be, except the tour guide's brochure says she is a philanthropist and patron of fine arts. There isn't a single mention of her professional life. If she had a marketable talent, it'd be talked up so high Rayquaza could pick his nose with it. Basically, she has no discernable income, or at least not enough for all of this to check out.'

" **And why do you know this?"**

'You know how I was a student who majored in international security in my past life?'

" **Yes, what of it?"** Palkia asked. " **I was under the impression that much of it was about diplomacy and risk management."**

'And you'd be right, my scaly friend,' Aaron shot them a mental grin. 'But, it's not all about negotiating skills. Not every problem can be solved by kind words and goodwill after all. The phrase, "follow the money," certainly applies here. In fact, there is, was, a think tank, a conglomeration of scholars and experts, that specialized in nothing but tracking illicit finance called C4ADS. Before I died, I was seriously considering working for them.'

" **And you're saying you can "follow her money" to find she engaged in illegal activities?"**

'I think,' he admitted. 'I'll have to do some digging, but that can be done fairly quickly if you know how.'

Their mental conversation came to an end when the butler announced them. Thanks to his "elite" ticket that promised a "noble greeting," he was allowed several minutes to speak to the duchess privately. It took Aaron a moment to acclimate himself to the overwhelming luxury of the office. The duchess was an early middle aged woman, roughly in her later 30s, with raven-black hair and high, aristocratic cheekbones. She sat somewhat predictably on a char that could have passed for a throne with gold accents and burgundy cushions. In front of her was a sitting room table with a tea set already prepared.

"Please, take a seat, Mr. Phantomweiss," she said. Her voice was neutral, but he got the distinct impression that he wouldn't be getting a second more of her time than absolutely necessary. "This is a time period you have purchased to ask any questions you wish of a member of the noble peerage such as myself. Please do use it wisely."

"Okay, first off, my name is Aaron Phantomweiss, a wandering trainer. Now a simple question: Is this being recorded?"

"Yes, you signed a waiver that by entering my home, you consent to being recorded for security and marketing purposes," she said cooly.

"Damn, and I wanted a private conversation. Alright, seeing as neither of us have the time, I'll make this quick. Please return the flute."

The only sign that betrayed her surprise was a quick blink. She expected plenty of questions about the castle, her ancestors, or even how her family lost power from the occasional insensitive fool, but a query about a musical instrument was not among them. "Excuse me?"

"Sometime this year, you accepted a flute from Viscount Shabboneau in lieu of his annual tax. That flute was not his to give away. It belongs to the town of Camphrier and was placed with the viscount for safekeeping. They need the flute for one day of the year so they can conduct their annual ceremony. Please return it."

"Sure," she waved him away. "Next!"

Aaron was taken aback. "Wait, that's it?"

She called for a servant to bring the flute over, a rustic thing with a pokeball design. "Yes, did you want me to say no? I am not an unreasonable woman, Mr. Phantomweiss. I originally accepted the flute as payment because I was sick of hearing his excuses. In fact, you gave me the perfect excuse." She looked like she would hand it over, but withdrew when he reached for it. "Ah, not yet. I am fond of this old thing; it has a certain charm to it. I am not saying I won't give it back, but I will speak with the mayor of Camphrier myself. Is this acceptable?"

Aaron gave a mental sigh. 'This is why you won't give me a quest for this, huh?' "Sure, that sounds fair. There is no guarantee that I'll actually give it to the town anyway."

"I'm glad we could come to an agreement."

X

That night, Aaron and Sophie returned to the castle for the fireworks performance. He tried not to groan too much, but the 80 credit per person price tag was a bit much. Sophie skipped along with Shiner perched on her head looking for all the world as though it had snowed last night. The two were humming the tune of a song only they knew and Aaron wondered who was keeping in tune with the other. They were packed onto the palace balcony and Aaron had never been more thankful for his enhanced strength than at that moment. Anyone that tried jostling him for a better spot found themselves shoved aside with negligible effort. He took her hand, leading her to the front of the balcony. He leaned over the edge with Fable on one shoulder and Isis on the other.

The first firework whistled through the night sky, silencing all ambient conversation and signaling the start of the show. It was a small one, more noise than light, meant to grab attention. The second and third spiraled through the air, weaving an impressive double helix of blue and green. The display only got more ridiculous from there. He didn't think it was possible to make a Xerneas figure using fireworks, too complex, but they managed somehow. The grand finale was a drumline variant of the Kalos national anthem, only with the drums replaced by fireworks meticulously made to create different notes.

 **Your REP with Sophie has increased by 4! Your REP with Fable and Isis have increased by 1!**

X

The next morning, as they were getting ready to leave, Sophie pointed out an article in the paper. "Say, Aaron, you wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?" She handed over the newspaper for him to read.

 _ **Viscount Stripped of Titles?**_

 _By Orion Schumer_

 _Yesterday, I reported on a burglary at the Shabboneau Castle. It turns out, I may have spoken too soon. Last night, as the dazzling fireworks display was going on, a whole different type of fireworks were igniting. The Duchess Moreau, of the disgraced royal house, returned the flute to our beloved town mayor. It turns out, the viscount had given away the town's treasured flute in exchange for being excused from the annual tax on his land. Except, he didn't quite mention that the flute was never his to give._

 _Note that this land includes our town. He of course received the taxes that were due to him from Camphrier, but failed to pass on a portion of that to the duchess. Instead, he gave away something that never belonged to him in the first place. The duchess, in her righteous fury, stripped him of his rank and struck a new deal with the mayor. From this point forward, the flute shall be in safekeeping at Parfum Palace, where it will share a place of honor with the old royal crown, a symbol of the people to juxtapose that of the monarch._

 _For more information on the new agreement, see page five._

 _For more information on the Moreau family, see page six._

"Huh, she kept her word after all," he mused.

"What, did you have anything to do with this?"

"No… sorta… I made her promise to give back the flute for their festival. I didn't expect her to remove his rank altogether. Although, it does make sense."

She took a large bite of her french toast topped with cinnamon and a sweet, orange glaze he couldn't identify. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the duchess, like every other noble, cares about wealth." A nod. "This fiasco gave her the excuse of stripping him of his rank. There is a hierarchy in a peerage. The higher nobles collect taxes from lesser nobles and lesser nobles collect taxes from towns like this one. The lesser nobles usually pass on a portion of the tax they collect to their liege lords. If there is no viscount, she can directly tax Camphrier, increasing her revenue. Or at least, that's probably what she's thinking. And the genius bit is that it's all true: The viscount is either incompetent or a liar and a thief. I'm sure that in the next few days, he'll face charges of corruption."

"That's horrible," she said indignantly. "She's basically doing it for money?"

"And prestige, don't forget prestige. Basically, it's as the paper said. The Moreau family, no matter how much money they have, are a disgraced house. Even though she is a duchess, it's still a far cry from queen. Not that I think she's trying to crown herself; she's probably not dumb enough to challenge DIantha directly. She may not want to be queen, but she and her family have been trying to redeem their house for generations. Back when I visited yesterday, she even had a "noble greeting" for those who paid a little extra. That was when I spoke to her. Isn't the little greeting a little like how kings used to hold court?"

"Still, how is any of that worth ruining someone's life?"

"He did something stupid and illegal and was punished for it. What do you think should have happened?"

"I don't know," she said, clearly conflicted, "but I don't think it's right to ruin someone because of your own greed. I don't like her."

Aaron laughed. He couldn't help but ruffle her hair. Her pout only became more pronounced. "Congratulations, you are no longer a politics virgin. Listen, Soph, people are diverse. The only thing that people have in common is that we, down to the last, are self interested. Sure, there are some saintly selfless people out there, but they are the exceptions that prove the norm. The viscount looked out for his own self interest. He got caught doing something stupid and paid for it by someone else looking out for her own self interest. As far as I'm concerned, karma hits everyone, noble or not."

She gave another pout before tossing him her bags. "I don't have to like it."

He chuckled. "No, I'd be disappointed if you did. Here, carry your own bags, at least until the edge of the town," he said as he gave them back. "It'd be awfully suspicious if two travelers didn't carry a single piece of luggage."

She grumbled, but hoisted them onto her back anyway, muttering about useless pack mules.

"What was that, Soph? You don't think you're physically fit? You're going on a diet? You want to carry your own bags to exercise?" he smiled, the picture of innocence. "Of course you can!"

X

Eventually, Aaron did relent and stored her bags in his inventory, but he took no small amount of amusement from watching her sweat under the, for her, heavy load. Aaron's douchebaggery couldn't keep her spirits down however and soon enough, she was humming along to some unknown melody.

Route 7, as in the games, was a route bisected by a river. One half was dedicated to Camphrier's agriculture and the other followed that river upstream, towards Connecting Cave and the mountain springs it flowed from. Roughly halfway between Connecting Cave and the bridge bisecting Route 7 was the Battle Chateau, somewhere Aaron planned on visiting for a day. For the moment, the two stopped at a berry farm four hours before dusk under Sophie's demand.

"Soph, I highly advise against this," he warned. "Harvesting might seem like an easy job, but it's not. It's boring, sweaty, repetitive work and you're really better off avoiding it. Why are you so insistent on taking a job?"

Sophie crossed her arms and stared him down. "They're promising a night's lodgings, Aaron. You wouldn't make a cute girl like me sleep outside when there's any other way, right?"

"Of course I wouldn't let a cute girl sleep outside," he began, raising her hopes. He smirked, "That's why we have tents, right? Besides, if you see a cute girl anywhere, let me know." He ducked the swipe she made at his head. "Hey now, no need for violence."

"You're an ass," she grumbled.

"Yeah, but I also know when you're lying. We've been outside for only a single day. You're not actually sick of camping yet."

"Have I ever told you how annoying it is when you get all analytical?" she pouted. "I just… wanted to stop freeloading off of you. When we get to Ambrette, I was hoping I could pay you back for the supplies and stuff. When we first met, I made you feed all my pokemon and you never really stopped providing for us so…"

'She's a good kid,' Aaron thought. He poked her forehead and felt distinctly like a certain self-sacrificing, red-eyed big brother an entire multiverse away. "Relax, it's not like I use a whole lot of money on my own anyway. You don't have to stress so much," he said.

"But still…"

"Is it really bothering you that much?" he frowned.

"Dad's going to flip a lid if he finds out…" she mumbled.

Aaron grinned. "So that's it, huh? And I thought you were finally growing a shred of responsibility," he teased. "You just wanted to avoid being nagged at."

"That's not what I meant and you know it!"

Aaron sighed, but relented.

 **Quest: A Day of Toil**

 **Details: Sophie, the city girl that she is, does not realize just how difficult farming can be. Help her.**

 **Objectives**

 **-** **Gather all ripe berries in your assigned area.**

 **\- Fend off all wild pokemon in your assigned area.**

 **Bonus Objective**

 **\- Help Sophie do the same.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- Receive the cookbook, "Berries in Kalosi Cuisine" that automatically levels up Cooking when consumed.**

 **\- 50 EXP per hour worked.**

 **\- 10 credits per hour worked.**

 **\- Lodging for the night.**

 **\- 20 EXP per wild pokemon fended off.**

 **Bonus Reward**

 **\- 3 REP with Sophie.**

 **Failure**

 **\- NA**

Aaron sighed as he picked yet another oran berry and tossed it into a basket hanging from his back. Each worker, six in all, had been assigned sections of the orchard after the predictable orientation about judging ripeness, checking for signs of disease, how to fend off wild pokemon, etc. He was grateful that Sophie's assigned sector was next to his own; if anything, that would make the bonus quest easier. With his increased Dexterity, he was well ahead of the rest of the pack. Turns out, Wilderness Survival gained experience from picking produce, albeit extremely slowly.

About halfway through, he allowed his frustration with the tedium to show and called out to his pokemon. "Hey, Isis, Fable, we're going to train while we pick berries. Fable, you're going to take ten seconds to run and hide. After ten seconds, stop. Isis, you're going to try to point him out by tracking the displaced air. If you end up encountering wild pokemon, Fable, make sure they don't eat any of the berries. Ready, go!"

X

"This is boring," Sophie whined as she reached for a bunch of hondew berries. Shiner chirped reproachfully. She could swear the songbird was telling her that she should have listened to Aaron. "How was I supposed to know picking berries would be so boring? And don't you start, Shiner." Her only response was a series of melodic chirps. Somehow, the blue ball of feathery down managed to convey her wishes just fine without the aura guardian to translate for her.

Nearby, Yuengling took a combat stance and ran through some basic kata. Corona growled at a wandering combee. As he was about to send out a flurry of Ember sparks, Yuengling reached out and slapped the cub. "At least someone's smart enough not to start a fire here," Sophie mumbled.

Three hours in, she sighed as she leaned against a tree. She yelped as she felt cool metal against her cheek. She whirled around and came face to face with Aaron's smug grin. He held out a cool can of juice. "Don't do that," she snapped and snatched the out of his hand. She gulped it down eagerly.

"I told you berry picking sucks," he grinned.

"Yeah, shut it you know-it-all aura guardian," she groaned. "Go back to your own section."

"I'm already done~," Aaron sang. "Guess who's done this before and has super speed?"

"Rub it in, ass."

He looked around at the berry trees that have yet to be picked. By his guess, she was roughly 75% done, but likely wouldn't finish before the sun set. "What do you say?" he asked expectantly.

"Please help me," she bit out each word like saying them was an agonizing task in itself.

"Only if you say, 'Aaron Phantomweiss is awesome and I should've listened to his sagely advice from the very beginning.'" She scoffed and reached for a berry to throw at his head. He deftly snatched it out the air. "I'm kidding, geez. You take the left side and I'll take the corner over there," he pointed, "There's less chance I'll be seen moving at superhuman speed."

With his help, they managed to finish her section within the hour. By the end of it all, Isis was able to not only track Fable, but also able to differentiate between the rustling leaves caused by the breeze and the rustling caused by wild pokemon to a limited degree. Fable himself had defeated eight combee and, with some help from Shiner, a vespiquen. He didn't get to practice his ground type attacks much, but he did get more practice fighting against aerial opponents.

 **Quest Complete: A Day of Toil**

 **Details: Sophie, the city girl that she is, does not realize just how difficult farming can be. Help her.**

 **Objectives**

 **-** **Gather all ripe berries in your assigned area.**

 **\- Fend off all wild pokemon in your assigned area.**

 **Bonus Objective**

 **\- Help Sophie do the same.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- Receive the cookbook, "Berries in Kalosi Cuisine" that automatically levels up Cooking when consumed.**

 **\- 200 EXP per hour worked (4).**

 **\- 40 credits per hour worked (4).**

 **\- Lodging for the night.**

 **\- 180 EXP per wild pokemon fended off (9).**

 **Bonus Reward**

 **\- 3 REP with Sophie.**

 **Due to seeing measurable improvement in herself, Isis' admiration for you has grown. You have gained 2 REP with Isis!**

 **Due to your extensive worth ethic, you have gained 1 VIT!**

X

"Say, Aaron," Sophie called in between a mouthful of macaroni and cheese. Three days following the berry orchard, they were finally approaching Connecting Cave. Aaron had initially wanted to check out the Battle Chateau, but he remembered what Professor Sycamore had said about monetary requirements and how the nobility hung on to the place like a drowning man to a rope. Until he had enough money to bribe someone for an exhibition match, or the badges to prove he was worthwhile, he wasn't going to get anywhere with them so he didn't bother.

He was drawn out of his thoughts by the soggy impact of a moist, gooey macaroni against his cheek. He wiped it off with a growl and shot the offending girl an irritated glower. "What?"

She smiled with zero sign of repentance. "I was just thinking, just what kinds of powers do you have?"

"Secret," he snarked. It wasn't so much that he didn't trust her. She knew he had aura so she already had a basic idea of what he could do anyway. Really, at this point, he just said that to irritate her. Every time they stopped for a training session, he would purposely dash off somewhere then create a frosty Haze. He sometimes even just cast it with Isis even while walking just because he loved watching Sophie trip in the name of "practice." Perpetual use had allowed him to level Haze by three. Once his Ice Affinity rose to 10%, he found that Haze would be cold enough towards the center as to inconvenience others that were not acclimated to the cold. He also managed another level in Agility, two levels in Night Shade, and a level in Teleport. That brought Agility to level 11, Night Shade to level 6, and Teleport to level 2.

Besides his aura based skills, he managed to level Marksmanship by two thanks to his practice of Night Shade, Self Defense by two from sparring with Fable, and Wilderness Survival and Cooking by one each. That got him six DEX from Marksmanship; two VIT, STR, and DEX from Self Defense; and one VIT, DEX, and WIS from Wilderness Survival. Despite his continuous exercise, he saw no organic attribute gains. It was as he figured, he would only grow stronger if he was challenged and the mundane tasks of walking from place to place would no longer be sufficient.

Fable had grown as well. He could turn a brick into soil in 15 seconds and his ears were starting to gain more girth, the first sign of his impending evolution. He was also noticeably faster. Even while on the road, Aaron had his pokemon play a variant of tag: Isis would remain perched on his head. Fable would dash around the little bird and try to poke her from any direction. If Isis could land a Night Shade before he could touch her, he lost. If she missed, he won the round. Needless to say, he won most of the time, but the training game improved his endurance and agility.

Of the three of them, Isis saw the most noticeable improvement. Haze, as an ice type technique, was the concept of stillness applied to air. The technique created a misty environment by reducing the ambient temperature. In turn, that slowed down the movement of air molecules, water included, which provided the foggy effect. Isis discovered that if she used Haze, she could "see" more clearly using the air. Aaron hypothesized that movement through "slower" air provided a deeper contrast, just as how a blue flower stood out more at night than it did during the day. She still regularly lost their game of tag, but Fable had to move more carefully than ever and by the end of the third night, sported his fair share of welts.

The norming after, Aaron took a look at the map programmed into his pokedex and called a stop to their game. "Let's leave it here, you two. Isis, cut Haze. We're approaching a ranger outpost and I'd like to not get shot because we look suspicious."

The ranger outpost was a quaint, wooden, two story building surrounded by a metal fence. There was a clearing marked for emergency choppers and bird pokemon to land and a tall, wooden tower that served as a lookout post. All of that was more or less as Aaron expected. Ranger outposts were fairly common near mountains and caves because those environments tended to contain the most powerful and aggressive pokemon. They also tended to be the more delicate ecosystems.

What Aaron didn't expect was the large grouping of fighting type pokemon. He saw a gang of scrafty, a pangoro, and even a hakamo-o, the mid-stage evolution of the pseudo-legendary of the distant Alola region. He approached the trainer standing near the dragon, a lanky man with a distinct skull tattoo on his forearm. 'Team Skull, huh. I wonder if they're as benign as they appeared in the games,' he mused. 'They were some sort of rogue band of misfits that provided a place to belong for all the Island Trial dropouts if I remember right. What's one doing out here?' "Hey there," he called with a friendly smile.

"Eh? What the fuck do ya want?" he said as he lit a cigarette. He had sunken grey eyes and drooping black hair that fell like seaweed over his face.

"I was just wondering what was going on. There are an awful lot of fighting types. I think I even saw a few steel types around."

"Either yer here for the quest or yer not. Since yer not, fuck off." He waved him away.

"Ass," he mumbled under his breath as he dragged Sophie away.

Eventually, the two entered the outpost to find a ranger who'd tell them what was going on. Turns out, a group of high level exploud were still at large in Connecting Cave. They were the same group that warranted an eight badge mission two weeks ago when he first set out from Lumiose. The first party left for the caves a day ago and the outpost had received a call for reinforcements a few hours ago. The trainers gathered outside were the ones that arrived too late to participate in the first raid group. The two were advised to follow the road to the cave then curve south. Thanking the ranger for the help, they left the more experienced trainers to organize the raid.

They made good time to the cave and outpaced the second party by a good few hours thanks to the fewer number of people. Walking by, Aaron spotted what could only be a makeshift medical center, a series of tents with several men and women in red crosses running around.

His attention was drawn by Sophie's alarmed gasp. Two corpses were carried by four medics, a gurney between each pair. One was a fellow ranger and Aaron could've sworn the body looked vaguely feminine, but nothing else was discernible due to the extent of the disfiguration. The other cadaver was a machamp. He knew because there were four arms, but again, he wouldn't have known were it not for the obvious. Both corpses were bloated to what would have been comical levels in any other circumstance. They looked like bloody balloons, stuffed turkeys bursting at the seams. Along their lips, eyes, nose, armpits, and every other natural crevice of the body, Aaron could see blood and bits of pulped muscle showing through. It was a morbid sight, the kind of train wreck he just couldn't look away from. All around the two travelers, medics rushed from place to place, shouting orders and screaming for more of one medicine or another. All of that faded to background noise, the static of the insignificant, compared to the sight before him.

He would look back and name this experience as the point that shifted his understanding of life and death. There was something more "real," more visceral about seeing the horrors of the pokemon world with his own eyes. Sure, he saw a pangoro punch a venomoth into burning cinders, but that wasn't anywhere near as disturbing. The venomoth wasn't human. And in a way, he had forgotten how easy it was to treat it all like a game. He was the Gamer after all. The machamp being carried next to what was undoubtedly its trainer helped put it into perspective. The machamp, the pokemon, were as alive as he was, as the ranger was, and the potential consequences for his mistakes were all too real. 'So that's what extreme sound does to a body,' a detached part of him noted even as he tried to quell his rebellious stomach. Swallowing the rising bile, he ushered a trembling, sobbing Sophie away. "Don't look," he whispered.

Amidst the chaos of the failed mission, the two slipped away towards the southern path and away from the carnage. They said nothing and even the pokemon sensed their trainers' somber mood and remained silent. Several miles south of Connecting Cave, Aaron stopped them for camp. It was well past dusk and the stars were shining bright, but he couldn't bring himself to appreciate their beauty.

'Was that necessary?' Aaron asked Arceus. 'Did you really have to cause that?' His hands stayed mobile, heightened perception allowing him to see enough to set a fire. He called out his and Sophie's tents from his inventory. Although he tried to distract himself with work, he couldn't make the bitter feeling in his chest disappear.

" **What do you mean?"**

'You know exactly what I mean. You knew those people would die. You knew we'd encounter them. If you want to make my life difficult in the name of challenges or whatever, fine, but did you have to involve Sophie? She's just a kid!' he thought angrily.

" **Aaron, as powerful as I am, I did not cause those events to take place, nor did I cause you to encounter the casualties. I said I am like a clockmaker and I meant it: I do not intervene in the lives of my children. You chose to go to Connecting Cave. You chose and no one else."**

'Then why didn't you warn me?' he thought bitterly.

" **You seem to be coping fine,"** Giratina noted. " **No offense, Aaron, but I don't give a damn about humans or pokemon in general. There are a few I take an interest in, like yourself, but those are the exceptions that prove the norm. I think my brothers are the same."**

" **Correct me if I am mistaken, Aaron,"** this time it was Palkia's turn to speak. " **My sister's callous words aside, I believe she is correct. You are fine. Your emotions are surprisingly calm. You are not worried about your own mental wellbeing, but that of Sophie's."**

Aaron took a deep breath. He had forgotten that conversation in the berry patch. He asked Arceus something similar when he saw the pangoro roast a venomoth with a well placed Fire Punch. Arceus was the clockmaker, the one who created and watched. 'No, I'm more or less ok with seeing bodies. When i was in the old world, I was a security policy major. I once took a course on terrorism and my professor spent the semester showing us terrorist propaganda videos to analyze. I've seen people cut off heads and there was even that one video of the Islamic State burning a Jordanian pilot alive. I'm pretty much desensitized to gore,' he admitted. After setting up the tents, he summoned an electric stove and began heating up some chocolate milk. He glanced at Sophie. She was, as expected, still a shivering wreck. 'Isn't there anything you can do for her?' he asked.

" **Yes,"** Arceus answered, " **if you were not here, would her mission change? Would she have delivered the package to Shalour any other way?"**

'S-She would have seen it anyway,' he realized.

" **If it makes you feel better,"** DIalga rumbled, " **Yes, there is a good chance she would have been in the same situation anyway."**

" **My son speaks true. I am helping her. I sent you. I sent a big brother and mentor figure who will usher her away from the carnage. I sent someone who will keep her warm and fed when she is tired. Can you tell me I have not provided? Would you like me to wipe this memory from her mind?"**

Aaron was taken aback at the offer. He considered it. This was the girl who returned home after a few months into her journey because she hated sleeping alone. This girl was not meant for violence and a part of him, the same part that wanted to study security in the first place, wanted to protect her from that. Ultimately, he shook his head. 'No, I don't want this to set a precedent. Someday, I'm going to be powerful enough to alter minds on my own. Psychic, Future Sight, and even Telepathy are very real skills I can learn, especially now that I have a psychic type of my own. I don't want to think I could just magic my problems away like that. If Sophie needs help, I'll provide it myself.' He handed Sophie a mug of hot chocolate and began to prepare a light dinner of premade chicken pot pie.

 **For your strength of will and character, you have gained 1 REP with Arceus and the primordial dragons.**

'Heh, thanks, everyone.'

" **You are most welcome."**

Aaron found himself smiling. It was a bittersweet smile, a smile of understanding and sympathy. He was somewhat disappointed to see that she didn't finish her food, but chose not to make an issue of it tonight. After dinner, he bid Sophie goodnight and retreated into the tent. As he was dozing off, he heard the zipping noise of the tent opening.

"Aaron? Are you asleep?" Sophie's voice came as a whisper from the dark silhouette.

"Yes. Can't sleep?"

"Y-Yeah… Every time I close my eyes, I see them…"

He sighed. He wasn't exactly known for being the most empathetic of his friends in his old life. He mulled over the matter for a minute. 'She's never liked being alone,' he thought. 'If this trauma persists, it's going to evolve into a full blown phobia and I can't blame her. It's not like I can just invite her into my tent though.' He sighed again. "I'm really not cut out for this," he grumbled. Nonetheless, he got up and returned the tents to his inventory. Then, he laid out Sophie's sleeping bag by the warm coals and spread his out on her other side. "Lie down," he ordered. When she did so, he crawled into his own bag and reached out to hold her by the hand. "There, you won't be alone anymore," he said with a kind smile.

"Thank you…" He just waved her off.

After a short while, the mood quickly fell from heartwarming to awkward and Aaron searched for something to talk about. "The stars are nice, huh?"

Sophie giggled, "You're so awkward."

"Shut up," he griped with no real heat in his voice. A the moon made its way across the sky, the two fell asleep watching the stars, hands still clasped together.

 **You gained +3 REP with Sophie!**

 **Omake:** **The Professor's Lessons: Day 5: ACE and the Ranger Alert System.**

The professor and student were seated outside in the middle of the professor's garden for the day. Nearby, the garchomp lay snoring, its massive body curled around a tree. It was a testament to the garchomp's discipline that fletching and fletchinder hopped across its body without rousing the dragon's ire. The professor gave a happy sigh as he bit into a potato dumpling. He washed down the snack with warm coffee like the cultured man he was. "So, Aaron, let's get a bit more in depth about the League personnel you're likely to encounter. More specifically, we'll be talking about the military aspect of being a trainer."

"Sounds good," Aaron said as he snatched a dumpling off the professor's plate.

Augustine shot him a cross look, but Aaron happily ignored it. The dumplings were tasty, with a bit of crunch on the outside and a chewy, savory interior. "Now, the Kalos Field Rangers are a part of the military as you know. You are automatically placed in the reserves after your fourth badge. You can also enlist directly if you'd like. Or, you can join another branch altogether. Do you have any designs on a military career?"

"Are you trying to convince me to enlist?" he asked. "You sound like you should be getting a commission for recruitment."

He chuckled as he took another sip. "As a matter of fact, I do get commission if you write my name down as a reference. I was a major in the KFR before I took up research."

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I don't think I want to join the military. The Opelucid City Watch was enough for me." 'Besides, how else am I supposed to train my aura if I'm surrounded by people all the time?'

"That's a shame. I hear they're looking for good staff officers. Well, you are still likely to meet them, so this won't be a total waste. Now, there are a lot of different military codes out there, but most are irrelevant to a civilian. On the other hand, KFR personnel will sometimes find that he is overwhelmed by the degree of danger and responsibility on a mission. He would then issue an alert to all nearby trainers. Those alerts range from one to nine, corresponding to the number of badges you have. If you have fewer badges than the alert, you are not responsible for answering. However, if you purposely ignore an alert you were qualified to answer, you can and will receive some serious fines."

"You said nine… There are only eight badges."

"Good, you can count," Sycamore said drily. "The ninth alert is issued for trainers who have cleared the Victory Road. In other words, only those preparing for the Conference or to challenge an Elite Four may answer the call."

"Is there really that large a gap between the eighth and ninth alerts?" Aaron wondered.

"Yes, most trainers actually take a hiatus of two or three years while they prepare to challenge an Elite Four member. They might travel around a different region or challenge the gym leaders' real teams. There are exceptions, those who are miraculously lucky or unbelievable prodigies, but for the most part, this runs true."

"Ok, I'll answer alerts when I have a few badges… Out of curiosity, what happens when I ignore one?"

The professor's face turned grim. "I recommend you don't. You may not realize it because Lumiose is such a bright, modern place, but Kalos as a whole is still very much untamed. Sure, there are pockets of civilization, but we leave the truly wild lands alone for good reason. If you ignore an alert, and it turns out that something serious happened, such as a wild aggron rampaging through town, then you are screwed. A lower rank alert might just see you fined, but you can potentially have your license suspended or revoked. Or, after your fourth badge, you can even be court martialed."

"Wait what? How? I have no intention of joining the military," Aaron exclaimed.

"Yes, but did you forget that you'd be placed on the reserves? An alert is like a draft. You're not allowed to ignore it and facing a military court can mean some serious prison time. There have even been cases when the trainer was executed. It happened about six years ago. A seven badge trainer accidentally disturbed a nest of drapion and the skorupi swarmed over the town. He panicked and ignored the alert, choosing to save himself. When it was all said and done, over 400 people and 900 pokemon died, many of them noncombatants. He was found and executed. Remember, Aaron, pokemon are powerful and while we don't see them as living weapons anymore, there is a certain responsibility that must be carried by any trainer, especially the powerful."

Aaron swallowed. "Got it."

The professor returned to his more typically jovial self. "Now, aside from the KFR, you might encounter some ACE division members."

"Quick question: What does ACE stand for? I mean, it's not like someone decided to name them after a playing card, right?"

"It used to stand for Assault, Combat, and Espionage. Now, the term ACE has gotten so popular that hardly anyone even remembers their full name."

Aaron nodded. "Isn't assault and combat the same thing though?"

"Nope, not in this case. The name describes the three types of missions ACE members take. Assault refers to quick, definitive raids with the purpose of securing an objective. Combat refers to protracted warfare and espionage is self-explanatory. Now, ACE is technically a part of the KFR, but operates independently under direct orders of the KFR's general. They are called in when things get really bad and every last one is at least an eight badge trainer with significant combat experience. If you meet one, you'll likely not know it because they don't like to broadcast their movements. If they do tell you they're in the area, your best bet is to leave as quickly as possible."

"Thanks, professor. Augustine… I keep forgetting to use your name… It's like you're an old man or something," Aaron quipped.

 **Author's Note**

 **The castle walls between towers were also called curtain walls. Those bits of walls that are higher than the rest to provide cover for defending archers are called parapets. The area surrounded by the curtain walls is the bailey, or ward. I had no idea either until I wrote this chapter… The average castle wall is about 39 feet tall, making it a good four stories. The median height from which a human can fall that has led to death is about 49 feet, meaning someone like Aaron, with 86 DEX and 42 VIT (8.6x the dexterity and 4.2x the vitality of a peak athlete), can definitely jump from this height with minimal problems. He'd likely feel a minor stinging in the soles of his feet then shrug it off. Special Ops forces routinely jump from similar heights with gear and roll to minimize impact. The difference here is that Aaron can do it without being weighed down thanks to his inventory and thus make much less noise.**

 **Aaron's foray into the darker side of the world begins with this one robbery. Although he did it for a quest, he has now acquired the attention of a rather dangerous individual. I think you all know who.**

 **What was the exploud affair? I wanted to use this as a chance to stress just how rare an eight badge trainer was, especially those equipped to battle a very unique threat.**

 **I'm sure I'll hear a few criticisms about how Sophie is a whiny bit of dead weight, but keep a few things in mind. Aaron is a graduate student whose entire discipline revolves around weighing lives as just another variable in the cost-benefit calculus. Sophie is a 16 year old girl who would be in high school in our world. She hates being alone and is by nature a social butterfly. She also views her brother, and the rangers by extension, as paragons of justice and providers of security. Seeing a ranger, especially one powerful enough to own a machamp, die like that shook her. It shouldn't surprise you to find that a teenage girl went into shock after having her entire worldview shaken. I wanted to flush out their character a bit more so let me know what you thought of it.**

 **As always, constructive feedback is appreciated.**

 **Pat reon dot com slash Sorre**


	8. Chapter 8

**Preface**

 **Morning all, as promised, here is chapter eight of Gaming Guardian. If any of you are fans of League of Legends or Worm, please check out my newest story, Quo Vadis. I'll be releasing the first four chapters over the next few days as a teaser of sorts.**

 **Shameless plug aside, thank you for all your support. I'm crazy busy trying to find a job after graduation, but hopefully I'll be able to keep updating these things.**

 **Best,**

 **Sorre**

 **Chapter 8: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made**

The duo arrived at Ambrette two days after leaving Connecting Cave. Sophie's nightmares had lessened somewhat, but she still insisted on sleeping next to Aaron. He hoped Sophie wouldn't insist on sharing a room or something in town; he had no desire to get arrested for taking advantage of a minor. She did seem a bit more cheerful now that they were back in civilization.

Ambrette Town was almost exactly as he remembered it from the games, an oceanside town lodged atop a cliff. It was one of the oldest three towns in Kalos, along with Geosenge and Anistar. They were quite proud of it, and for good reason. Their town began as a small lighthouse, back before there was enough architectural development to build spires of brick. Back then, due to architectural deficiencies, the best way to have a lighthouse was to literally have a house on top of a seaside cliff and that was exactly how Ambrette came to be. Then, when the war with Unova broke out, Ambrette was quickly made a naval stronghold. The natural schools of dragalge made for hazardous waters filled with poison that corroded both wood and steel alike and the tall cliffs made sniping anything that got through with clawitzer cannons a simple matter. To this day, psychic, electric, and dragon type pokemon, especially of the starmie, slowking, lanturn, magnezone, and goodra lines, were considered especially valuable by the Kalos Royal navy (KRN).

Nowadays, the cliff had been hollowed out by the years of development and served as an aquarium that attracted water type trainers from all over the world. It blended human influence with natural biomes perfectly. The architects created tunnels all throughout the cave, with liberal use of rock types to keep the whole thing from collapsing. Those tunnels allowed air to blow into the network, creating pockets of uneven pressure and forcing water levels to rise artificially. This, coupled with liberal use of imported coral and artificial kelp forests, created the illusion of a vertical aquarium that was seemingly located entirely underwater. Patrons could descend the cliffs and enter the cavern, looking through reinforced glass directly into the habitats of various water pokemon. The aquarium's ground floor was actually made almost entirely of reinforced glass so patrons could look directly into the ocean for larger species that could not be held inside the caves. The star attraction was a lapras by the name of Big Blue, who after losing his entire pod, chose to make his home with the people of Ambrette.

The aquarium itself was a major point of contention among the more fiscally conservative townsfolk. While it brought many tourists and was viewed as a leading institution for water type pokemon research, it was also expensive to maintain. The cave system needed to be reinforced every few months by powerful rock and steel types and once a year, Grant would come down from Cyllage to lend his aggron's aid.

The rest of the town fit the slogan to a tee: "Where amber dust dances," the town welcome sign read. Other than the newer buildings like the fossil lab and aquarium, brown and rustic yellow seemed to be the iconic color of the place. Aaron led Sophie through the motions of a supply run. He dragged her to a local farmer's market.

"Hey, Soph," he called. She had seen better days. She did get some sleep, but it was far from restful and it showed in the ever growing bags under her eyes. After a moment, he licked his finger and stuck it in her ear.

"Eeep!" She yelped and jumped a foot off the ground at the strange sensation. She whirled and glared at him with all the passion of an enraged kitten. "What. Do. You. Want?" she growled, punctuating each word with an ineffectual kick to his shins.

"I just wanted to ask you what you wanted for lunch. I planned on getting something nice for you, but if you're okay with just berries and a sandwich then…" he trailed off. He allowed himself a small smirk as the offer of food drew her out of her melancholy.

Her eyes lit up as she scanned the farmer's market. He chuckled, relieved that he could still trust her gluttony to distract her. She instantly dragged Aaron over to a food stand serving what he assumed was a quiche. "I want this one to start," she chirped. He noticed that her words came out a bit forced, but didn't make an issue of it. Hopefully, she'd return to her cheerful self soon.

The stand itself was simply a man serving individually portioned quiches out of the back of a truck made with the help of four tiny skillets. Sophie ordered herself one topped with onions, spinach, and baby clauncher, a local favorite according to the vendor. Aaron gave a token grumble at what was obviously the priciest item on his menu, but ordered the same. Shortly after, she dragged him to an ice cream vendor who sold the frozen treats molded in the shape of different pokemon. She ended up with a cone with an azurill motif and he settled for an ice cream sandwich that was shaped vaguely like a squirtle.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked as the two walked down the street. She looked down in thought before turning to him with a soft smile.

"I… I don't think I'm going to stop having nightmares anytime soon. They've gotten better, but I can't stop thinking about how dangerous pokemon can be," she whispered. Shiner cooed on top of her head. "Yeah, I know you'll protect me, Shiner, but the world is a scary place. It just reminded me of all the reasons I stopped traveling."

'Way to go, you idiot. People don't get over trauma by being reminded of it,' Aaron chided himself. He pulled her into a one armed hug. "But you're not traveling alone this time," he said. "I won't lie to you. You're right, the world is a scary place. I'd like to say that everything turns out okay in the end, but you saw for yourself that isn't true. I'd like to say I can protect you, but that isn't guaranteed either. I'm not Sir Aaron the legendary hero. I'm only just now starting to come to grips with my powers." He turned her around to face him. "What I can say is that I'll try. Morgan's not here right now, but I'd like it if you'd think of me as a second brother."

Sophie's smile widened before she fell against him in a tight hug. "You're such a sap," she whispered. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he whispered back.

The two stayed that way for a minute, heedless of the odd stares they were receiving from bystanders. Finally, Sophie separated herself and punched his shoulder. "So, what's next?"

"We need supplies."

"Don't you have enough in your magic box?"

"I do, but you can never have too many. I'd also like to pack some max repels, just in case." She nodded and the two found themselves a pokemon center. Aaron still marveled at how uniform the leagues were. All pokemon related affairs were handled by the local pokemon center, which contained a hospital and market, and sometimes an inn and gym if the town was small enough. They moved towards the market section and began browsing.

"Hello, can I help you?" one of the employees, male with a forgettable face, asked. He was clearly bored and looking for anything to do.

'Probably some poor kid on his first job,' Aaron thought wryly, 'I remember those days. Fun times, not.' He gave the teen a placid smile. "Yes, can you show me to the max repels?"

The boy motioned for them to follow. "Sorry, man, but we keep the good stuff behind the counter. Let me get my boss."

A minute later, a middle aged man in a white coat came from the back. "Hello, I heard you were looking for some max repels." His name tag identified him as William, the local pharmacist. "We've got them in the back because they need to be carefully measured per dose. Otherwise, the smell might be so noxious that it might get wild pokemon to actively seek it out and destroy it instead of repelling them. The smell also isn't good for you in large amounts, so I recommend not using it if you can help it. Now, how many would you like?"

"Beats me," Aaron said, "I plan to check out Glittering Cave. How many do you think I'll need?"

"You're going where?" Sophie asked.

"Glittering Cave, I thought you'd been to Ambrette before, Soph. You needed to pass through to get to Cyllage, right?"

Sophie scrunched up her nose. "Yeah, but I'm not a fan of caves so I skipped it. It's a bit of a detour. Why do you want to go there?"

"I heard some fossils and such could be found there," he said evasively. 'That, and the Kangaskhanite.' "Besides, I was thinking you could use a bit of a break and stay around town while I go explore. You could go see the aquarium or something if you don't want to come along."

"That does sound nice."

"If you're going to Glittering Cave, I recommend four or five at least. These repels last for a few hours, but be warned, some of the stronger pokemon don't seem to be affected," William said.

"Great, I'll take ten. I promise I won't use them all at once," Aaron added before William could protest. "I just figure they'll come in handy eventually."

"As you wish; that'll be 450 credits." Aaron drew out his wallet and counted out the cash. "Say, you look like an experienced trainer. I was going to put in a request on the job boards, but do you mind doing me a favor while in the cave?"

Aaron perked up at that. That sounded like a quest, a fetch quest, but still… He was starved for EXP damnit! "Sure, well, that depends on what you need."

"I need 30 grams of luminous moss. They grow near the crystal formations in the cave. You shouldn't have too much trouble. The wild pokemon can get territorial, but they're not overly powerful as long as you stick to the outer limits of the cave." Sure enough, he gained a quest. "I won't be able to give you much in the way of credits, but I can give you a potion or two in thanks."

 **Quest: Not a Rolling Stone**

 **Details: "A rolling stone gathers no moss…" It's a good thing you've got no musical talent whatsoever then, eh? Gather some moss because music is your Boulevard of Broken Dreams."**

 **Objective: Gather 30 grams worth of luminous moss from the Glittering Cave.**

 **Bonus Objective: Gather extra moss, reward for every 15 grams extra.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- 1 hyper potion.**

 **\- 1 Herbal Elixir.**

 **\- 200 EXP.**

 **Bonus Rewards**

 **\- 15 EXP per 15 grams collected.**

 **\- 10 credits per 15 grams collected.**

 **Failure: NA**

'Accept,' Aaron thought, 'definitely accept.' He needed a little over 300 EXP to level so this was perfect. "That's fine, I think this is doable," he told William.

" **Heh, you are like an attention-starved puppy,"** the voice of the chaos dragon rang in his ear.

'Shut up, Giratina,' he shot back.

The two then went to check into the pokemon center's inn. It wasn't anything luxurious, but the rooms did have a single bed, nightstand, and a desk. Sophie rented her room for three nights while Aaron rented his only for a single night. He planned to be in Glittering Cave for a bit, even if it meant giving up hot showers. 'I wonder if I can somehow pack a mobile shower inside my inventory,' he thought. The notion of using Palkia's space manipulation for hot water amused him greatly.

After a half hour to put their things away, the two met up in the lobby again. "Say, Aaron, can we go to the fossil lab?" she asked.

"I didn't take you for the studious type."

"Oh? And what's that supposed to mean?" Her eyes narrowed in warning.

"Nothing," he hastily replied. "But yeah, sure. I wanted to check it out too actually."

"The last time I was here, they were in the process of bringing back extinct pokemon. I heard they got the basics from Pewter City in Kanto. I want to know if they succeeded."

Aaron nodded. He knew they had, or would, of course. Tyrantrum was a favorite of his during his playthrough of Pokemon Y, but he doubted getting a fossil pokemon would be so easy. "That sounds pretty interesting. Do you have an eye on one by any chance?"

Sophie giggled. "No, not really. I mean, I don't know the first thing about taking care of a fossil pokemon. I heard that the ones resurrected in Kanto needed expensive vaccinations and such. It would be really cool if I could get my hands on one, but they're really rare and powerful so I'm not sure if I'd be worthy of one." Aaron stuck a finger in her ear again. "Would you quit doing that?!" Sophie shrieked as she jumped to get rid of the uncomfortable tingling that ran down her spine.

"Nope, not until you quit killing your own self esteem. I don't know if you can or can't take care of a fossil pokemon, but neither do you."

"Ugh, fine. Come on, we're here."

The fossil lab was a squat building on the northwestern edge of town. It was also the newest building in town, built only within the last four years. Already, there was something of a competition between the researchers at the aquarium and the fossil lab. Aaron couldn't help but snort at that. 'Like a mini Team Aqua and Magma,' he mused, 'Hopefully, they won't get anywhere near as destructive.'

The interior of the lab was much like a museum. In fact, that was exactly what the front half of the lab was. A giant statue of an aerodactyl loomed above the beast. The two took an hour to walk around the various exhibits. The museum side of the lab was divided into four quadrants representing different biomes. One was mountainous and contained mainly models of aerodactyl and rampardos. Another contained a prehistoric jungle filled with plastic models of large ferns. In it, they found a statue of a tyrantrum and a pack of cranidos. The third was a stereotypical grassland with a herd of bastiodon. The last was an ocean with kabutops and omastar dotting the landscape.

After an hour, the duo moved further into the lab. There, they met a scientist by the name of Vincent Grear. He was a relatively young man in his mid thirties with brown hair and a chiseled face. By his side, a young girl of about seven waved shyly. "Is it bring your kid to work day?" Aaron asked.

"Yes, actually. Can i help you?" the scientist said warmly.

"My name's Aaron and this is Sophie. We wanted to ask you a few questions about the prehistoric pokemon native to Kalos if you weren't too busy."

"Vincent," he pointed to his name tag. "And this is my daughter, Ana. It's good to see youngsters showing an interest in paleontology. I'm free now if you'd like to head to my office for a chat. Bring your kid to work day is great, but we all pretty much expect to get nothing done," he said with a laugh.

"Awesome, we came at a great time then."

They were led to a quiet office overlooking a small, outdoor enclosure. The office itself was rather on the small side and its cramped atmosphere was only aided by the messy stacks of papers. The largest stack on Vincent's desk was held in place by a fossil twice the size of Aaron's palm. "Is that a dome fossil?" he asked.

Vincent lit up at that. "Yes, I'm glad you can recognize it. If there is enough biological material, you can even restore the thing into a kabuto."

"Daddy, what are kabuto?" Ana asked. She was looking around with rapt attention. "Is it a dinosaur?"

"No, sweetie, a kabuto is a small, insectoid pokemon that is a water type. The restoration process and their fossil status makes them rock types, but some people think they were bug types when they were truly alive."

"Huh, didn't know that."

By his side, Sophie gasped. She tugged his arm and drew his attention to outside the enclosure. "Aaron, look, is that an amaura?"

Sure enough, the tundra pokemon lay soaking in the warm rays of the late afternoon. Its aurora-like eyelashes sparkled in the waning light. "Cool!" Ana squealed as she ran over to the window. She almost knocked over a stack of books in one corner and Vincent just managed to catch them.

"Yes, we succeeded in implementing the restoration process for our two prototype species, amaura and tyrunt. In fact, the first two specimens of each went to Diantha and Grant."

"Will they be available for capture by a trainer soon?" Sophie asked. "They're so pretty!"

"I'm afraid not. The pokemon went through a lot of adjustments to ensure their health in the modern age." He pointed to a small cave at one end of the enclosure. "See that cave there? It's artificially frozen to ensure that the amaura is comfortable. It only comes out in the mornings and evenings when the sun isn't so hot."

"What do they eat?" Aaron asked.

"They thankfully seem to be fine eating regular fruits so we were spared from any extensive gene modifications there. None of the fossil pokemon will be made available to the general public for years, I'm afraid. We've asked a few of the gym leaders if they'd be interested, but none of them seem to have the time to adopt the little one over there. So far, only Diantha and Grant have fossil pokemon."

"Aww, that's a shame."

Aaron figured this was as good a time as any and changed the topic. "Hey, Dr. Grear, I've heard that Diantha's gardevoir can turn into some sort of secondary form with a stone. Is that related to fossils at all?" he asked leadingly. 'Please, please tell me about the Aerodactylite so I can stop pretending I don't know it's here.'

Vincent seemed mildly surprised at the question, but smiled anyway, happy to talk about his field "Actually, my colleague had a hypothesis. The phenomenon you are talking about is called a mega evolution and only a handful of pokemon known can do it. Some believe that there are unique stones out there for other species, but I don't know much about them personally. Gardevoir is obviously the most famous, thanks to our champion, but others do exist. Anyway, my colleague hypothesized that because fossil pokemon all gain a rock type, they might be more likely to be receptive to the mega stone's radiation. He and a small team are in Glittering Cave looking for fossils actually."

"I see, can you tell me the full list of pokemon that can mega evolve?" Sophie asked. "Can Shiner?"

"Who?"

"My swablu, sir. Can my swablu use the mega stone thingie?"

"I didn't expect you to be this interested, Soph. You're not much of a battler."

"I know, but I still think it'd be cool. I wonder what a mega swablu would look like."

Aaron laughed. "I think she needs to turn into an altaria first. Who knows? Maybe one exists."

" ***Cough* Bullshit *Cough*"** came Giratina's voice.

'Oh you hush. It's not like I can tell her that Altarianite is a real thing.'

Vincent looked thoughtful. "Yes, Aaron is correct. Mega evolution is possible only for fully evolved pokemon, as far as we can tell. As for a full list, I'm afraid even I don't know. Professor Sycamore might have something like that, but I believe it's classified in order to prevent a frenzy of trainers ruining ecosystems by hunting one species or another."

"If the gardevoir is anything to go by, there's probably a fair bit of worry about people misusing that kind of power too," Aaron noted.

"Indeed, that is another possibility."

"Anyway, if fossil pokemon could mega evolve, which species do you think is the most likely to have a stone?"

"Hmm… I would have to say aerodactyl. You see, all fossil pokemon have two stage evolutions with just one exception: aerodactyl. It's the most likely fossil pokemon to have another evolutionary stage, or perhaps a pre-evolution that's missing from the fossil record. It's purely conjecture."

"I heard from Professor Sycamore once that mega stones emit radiation of some sort. Does that mean they eventually run out of power?"

"Radiation? Isn't that dangerous?"

Vincent laughed as he pulled Ana onto his lap. "No, not all radiation is dangerous Sophie. And to our knowledge, mega stones don't run out of power either. That's what makes them so curious. In fact, there was a stone that was brought in recently. Some of my colleagues think it could be a mega stone, but if it is, we have no idea which species it could be matched to."

"Huh, that's too bad," Aaron muttered. 'Thank you for confirming that Aerodactylite is here.'

"Well it's still cool to learn about some secret evolution that no one knows about," Sophie chirped. "I'm sure you guys will figure it out."

'Except I already know…' "It's not secret, Soph. Rather, the information is unavailable because there are so few examples of mega evolution. There are some legendary heroes and their partner pokemon that could 'transcend their limits,' but those are just hearsay. It'd be more accurate to say that scientists just don't have a large enough sample size to study it properly."

"Your friend is right. It'd be great to study it in a controlled setting, but DIantha is especially prickly about lending us her partner pokemon for a lab experiment and I don't blame her. Then again, perhaps mega evolution is one of those phenomena that can only be seen with a reliable trainer."

'You have no idea, doctor…'

X

The day after, Aaron left Sophie to her own devices and headed for Route 9. She told him she would be going back to the fossil lab to see if she could get a second look at the amaura. First things first, she dialed up her father.

"Hello? Sophie?" came the welcome voice on the other line.

"Hey, dad."

"Hey yourself, princess. What's the occasion? I expected you to avoid talking to your old man for as long as you can respectfully get away with it," he joked.

"You know I wouldn't do that," she defended weakly.

His rueful chuckles filled the air. "I was young once too, princess. I know that talking to the folks can be a chore and I appreciate it. When I was on my journey, I only called my old man to ask for money."

"Way to set a good example, dad."

"Now, I never said you should do that." Somehow, in the mystical way all fathers seemed to be able to, he sensed her discomfort. "So, did you want to talk about something in particular?"

Sophie sighed. She never could hide much from her father. She exited the pokemon center and walked down towards a small urban park they passed last night. "Dad, have you ever seen a dead body?" She surprised herself; she hadn't expected her voice to be so stable.

Silence filled the line. Then, a resigned sigh. "Yes, princess, I have. Pokemon are wonderful creatures, but also deadly and your first cadaver is something of an unofficial rite of passage among trainers. You don't understand just how grateful I was to hear your first time away from home had gone so well."

"Then… why did you let me become a trainer? Why did you let Morgan?"

"Princess, our world isn't always a safe place. You have no idea how badly your mother and I wanted to stop you. Both of you. Instead, we let you go because it was your dream. While death is a horrible thing to encounter, it also matures people like nothing else. Yes, it's scary, but the world is also a beautiful, wonderful place. I never did tell you, did I, how I decided I wanted to be an architect?"

"No…"

"Well, I spent seven years as a trainer, as you know. Once, I was trekking through the Terminus Mountains and found myself trapped in a durant nest. I only survived thanks to my pyroar, but since then, I could never get the durant hill's structure out of my mind. I know, weird, but that's what sparked my dream. My point is this: The world is a fearful, wonderful place, but there's nothing that can inspire a man quite like seeing it for himself. I wanted that for you. Now, tell me, what happened?"

So, she told him. She told him of how Connecting Cave had been closed off. She talked about the exploud and the bodies of the machamp and female ranger. She tried to swallow the vomit pooling in the back of her mouth and continued. "W-What was the first time you saw a body?"

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, princess… As for me? I… I was a young hotshot with five badges. I thought I was on top of the world," he admitted. "One day, I was traveling along Route 14 just south of Laverre City. You know what sliggoo are, don'cha?"

"They're the pre-evolved form of goodra, the friendliest pseudo legend," she answered automatically. More than one grand duke has had a goodra as a partner. Although messy and sluggish, their ability to ignore pretty much any attack while hitting back twice as hard with a wide range of elemental blasts made them highly sought after battlers. "Did you step on a slime trail and fall on your face or something?"

Her father laughed. She had no idea how much she missed this. He had always been the one to patch her up when she was a kid. "I wish. No, I got to see just how dangerous the so called friendliest dragons can actually be. It was one of the rainiest years in recent memory and as you know, the goodra line multiply rapidly in the rain. They ran out of food and I was called to help the rangers cull their numbers a bit to keep them from damaging the ecosystem by overeating the local wildlife. Goodra are normally docile, but sliggoo are not."

"Aren't they basically the same?"

"Unfortunately not. Unlike their evolved forms, sliggoo don't have eyes. They hunt by throwing acid on anything that moves and they only know you're moving by using the horns on their heads. They've even been known to be incapable of distinguishing their trainer from their food. The only reason the line hasn't gone extinct by killing their own young is that their slime acts as an insulator against all external factors like poison and acid. In fact, that's how they ensure that only the strongest goomy survive, a sort of natural culling process. All the weaker ones die off from the acidity of their own parents."

"Is that why they can't stand heat? If their slime evaporates, do they melt themselves?"

"Sometimes, yes, but they're dragons. The heat needs to be drastic for that to happen. Anyway, it's only when they become goodra that they learn a bit of self control. Long story short, I saw some of my friends get dissolved in acid. It wasn't pretty."

"How… how did you deal with it?" she whispered.

"I ran. I ran like a scared little bunnelby." At any other time, she might have scoffed at the image. Now, neither her father nor bunnelby were beings she associated with weakness. Not anymore. She had seen Fable's training enough to dissuade her of that particular stereotype. "I ran as fast as I could for Lavarre. Then, I got myself piss drunk. I still don't know what exactly happened during the four days after. All I know is that one of the rangers who saw me paid for my booze and I woke up in a sketchy whorehouse with a bill half the size of my entire savings at the time."

"Too much info, daddy," she grimaced. "Please tell me you weren't seeing mom back then."

"No, that came later, thankfully. Believe me, she already gave me hell for this when I told her. My point is this, princess: There is no easy way to deal with death. All I can promise you is that it gets a little easier. Just promise me you won't get pregnant," he tried to joke, but it fell flat against the somber mood.

"I promise not to do anything self-destructive," she said dutifully. "Besides, Aaron's been taking care of me, dad."

"What did he do? Do I need to give him a call? What's his phone number?"

"Calm down, geez… We only slept together a few times."

"WHAT?" her father roared.

It took Sophie a minute, but when she realized what she said, her face quickly ripened like a tomato. "N-Not like that! He heard me screaming at night so he shoved our sleeping bags together and held my hand!"

Her father audibly calmed. "Oh… good… Where are you now?" he changed the topic to mask his awkwardness.

Sophie looked around. Sometime during their conversation, she had arrived at the park and taken a seat on a nearby bench. The park itself was small, only about the length and width of a city block. It was well maintained by the city's regiment of budew and roselia and stood out as one of the few green patches within the otherwise amber city. "I'm in Ambrette. Aaron and I just got in yesterday. He's already off to Glittering Cave for the next day or two and i'm going to check out the fossil lab."

"Glad to hear it." They talked for a while longer, their topics ranging from the amaura at the fossil lab to the drunk idiot that cut her dad off on his way to work yesterday. Eventually, the two ended the call and Sophie headed to the fossil lab with a skip in her step that wasn't there before.

X

Route 9 was also often called Spike's Passage. It was more of an extended hiking trail rather than a proper route and was only used to reach Glittering Cave by paleontologists, mineralogists, and the occasional trainers and tourists like himself. It was built by retired rhyhorn racers who were hired by the initial paleontological expedition to Glittering Cave. According to a brochure he picked up from the ranger station in Ambrette, the fastest rhyhorn to ever race was called Spike. She and her racer were hired to lead the expedition to the cave and the massive pokemon was the one who did a majority of the work.

The passage itself wasn't as rugged as the games made it out to be. He had been expecting jagged spikes and pitfalls everywhere, but in hindsight, that made no sense. Paleontologists made regular trips there to look for fossils so unless they all had bird pokemon powerful enough to carry them or had access to some other means like a helicopter or secondary path, this would be the only way to the cave. Not everyone had the benefit of aura enhanced stamina and physical fitness and researchers weren't exactly known for their athleticism.

Nonetheless, it was a much harder hike than he wanted to deal with on foot, especially since he couldn't recall anything worth looking for on the route itself, so he rented a rhyhorn from the rangers. The rhyhorn went by Isaiah, apparently. Isaiah the rhyhorn was… an interesting conversationalist.

"RIDE UPON ME, PUNY HUMAN, AND I SHALL SHOW YOU THE MEANING OF POWAAAHHHHHH!" was the first thing he had screamed out when the ranger had released him from his ball. Of course, the ranger only heard an energetic roar so he just chuckled good naturedly and apologized for giving Aaron the station's noisiest steed.

"At least he can't flex his pectorals," Aaron muttered. 'If this is your idea of a joke, Arceus, it's not funny. I swear to you I will find a way to get you back if there's a sudowoodo named Timber that argues with this rhydon.'

" **No, I assure you, young Isaiah's personality was not fabricated just to make a corny reference to a deodorant commercial."**

" **Yeah, dad's a vindictive asshole, but he's not exactly lacking creativity. He's got enough dignity to not rip off a sapient snail."**

" **Your faith in me is truly inspiring, oh daughter of mine,"** the Alpha drawled.

The ride was a unique experience. It was quite relaxing for the first bit. He had Fable run around the rhyhorn for training. Similarly, Isis was forbidden from landing for as long as she could remain airborne. The young bird was forced to land frequently, but that did little to curb her enthusiasm. The objective was to have her use her senses to track the rather rambunctious rhyhorn even while improving the endurance of her wings, something natu were not known for.

When Isaiah saw his "manly dedication" to training, he had shouted to the heavens that he would "GO FORTH WITH POWAAAAHHHHH!" and charged straight through a boulder. Unlike the games, Spike's Passage did not involve directly traversing through boulders. Of course it didn't, otherwise, there would be no way for most people to use the passage in the first place. Isaiah decided that the fastest way to a destination was in a straight line and decided to make his own "shortcuts."

"M-Master," Isis squawked in exhaustion, "I-I can't keep going."

Aaron quickly returned her before she fell too far behind. He then released her again, this time firmly holding her in his lap. "I've got you." He pushed the tiny bird into his coat pocket and felt her snuggle against the warmth of his chest.

"Oh that's so unfair!" Fable yelled as he ran alongside the rhyhorn. No, Isaiah wasn't faster than Fable, but he did have better stamina and the last hour of sprinting had worn out the little rabbit.

"You can join me if you're running out of strength," he said wryly. "I didn't mean for Isaiah to begin sprinting through boulders."

Fable huffed and muttered some unsavory things under his breath but remained running on the ground. Aaron smiled at the little rabbit's show of machismo. His partner really was too proud to admit defeat and suggesting that he'd run out of strength in a footrace of all things was a surefire way to prickle his ego.

Aaron chuckled and tried to take in as much of the view as he could. The bumpy ride wasn't the most conducive to a scenic experience, but that was fine in its own way. He did gain a point in Vitality for his trouble after all. The ranger at the station just outside of Glittering Cave stood dumbstruck as Isaiah rammed straight through a tree, creating a path that most definitely didn't exist before.

"H-How are you even riding that thing?" he stuttered.

Aaron dismounted and offered a careless shrug. "Oh, Isaiah's quite alright. You just need a firm grip." Before he could inquire too deeply, the trio bid Isaiah goodbye and strolled into the cave with a casual wave.

X

The amaura, unimaginatively named Aurora by the scientists, was a delight. After her conversation with her father, Sophie had made a beeline for the fossil lab and sought out Vincent Grear. Initially, he had been very reluctant to introduce Sophie to Aurora, but after an hour of begging, he decided on a compromise. Sophie would help him and the other scientists with the chores around the enclosure in exchange for getting to meet the rare fossil pokemon.

Vincent grinned as he placed a large pile of soft hay into her arms. "You're going to start with replacing the hay in her den with this. We change it out daily to make sure she has a nice place to sleep, and a midnight snack if she's feeling peckish. Now, come here." He led her into the enclosure and just outside the den. "Aurora, come on out, I have a new friend for you to meet," he called.

The amaura was about four and a half feet tall with two elegant sails framing her large, aquamarine eyes. Baby blue scales covered her body from head to tail, except a small patch of snow white on her stomach. The scales themselves were so small and well connected that when she moved, her body seemed to ripple like waves along a pond's surface.

"You're beautiful," Sophie muttered before she caught herself. She tentatively reached out her hand and after a moment of ponderous thought, Aurora graced her with a gentle nudge. She stroked the ice type's tender sail and found it to be far more rigid than expected.

Vincent chuckled as he brought out a bag full of berries and ferns. "The ferns are some of the oldest plants on the fossil record. It is thought that the very first plants to evolve were ferns and Aurora here seems to digest them a bit more easily than others. The berries are figy, the oldest berry we know of, and yache."

"Why yache?"

"Honestly? We have no idea," he laughed, "She seems to have developed a taste for them." Aurora gave a crooning sigh as she made a break for her breakfast. "Now that you've met her, she shouldn't have any problems with you entering her den. I want you to pull out all the old straw and replace them."

"Yes, sir," she chirped.

X

The air above Aaron's palm rippled as space was distorted, not that anyone but him could see it in the shadow of Glittering Cave. Contrary to the games, the cave was not a shiny mess of crystals. Or, at least, it wasn't so bright that they could forgo a flashlight. Instead, the luminescent crystals that lined the walls were small, dull, like a night light low on batteries. Aaron's first thought was that the cave's interior resembled a dusky night sky dotted with muted stars. According to the rangers, the cave had bright spots and also areas that were plunged into complete darkness. Regardless of the name, a flashlight was a must to explore it in any detail.

They had been walking for the past fifteen minutes and the light from the cave's entrance had all but dimmed to a speck the size of a candle. Aaron twirled the military grade flashlight, the type with a long handle and enough weight to be used as a club if necessary. He flicked the switch and a bright beam of fluorescent white pierced the darkness of the cave. The spotlight centered on a cobalt-blue ceiling. He them promptly dropped the flashlight and brought his hands to his ears in pain as the very air around them began to hum. 'Supersonic,' he gritted his teeth.

What had appeared to be crinkled stone was in fact a colony of woobat led by a trio of swoobats. They did not appreciate the sudden light pollution and made themselves abundantly clear with a synchronized Supersonic attack. While nothing compared to an exploud's Boomburst, it proved more than strong enough to bring him and Fable to the ground. Isis, while in pain, merely shoved herself deeper into his coat to muffle the noise. The bats swooped down with berserk wrath and began to buffet the trio with Gust and Confusion.

 **\- 39 HP!**

 **\- 29 HP!**

 **\- 29 HP!**

 **\- 27 HP!**

 **\- 27 HP!**

 **\- 17 HP!**

 **\- 17 HP!**

 **\- 17 HP!**

 **\- 17 HP!**

 **\- 17 HP!**

 **\- 17 HP!**

The three ran for their lives. Each gust of wind that struck his back felt as though it were a miniature wrecking ball; he could feel his bones creak and he nearly lost his footing more than once. Confusion, that was an interesting move. It was a blast of psychic power and seeing how he did not have access to Gamer's Mind, the mental intrusion had been felt fully. The screeching of the swoobat colony was more than just noise; it weighed upon his mind like a curtain of satin that dulled his senses. At some points, he could have sworn that his perception of the world shifted. He would stumble over a nonexistent rock here or run into a wall that seemed a few feet further away there. It was only due to their lack of training that the colony could not direct him as they pleased. By the time they gave up the chase, Aaron, Fable, and Isis found themselves stuck behind a boulder near the mouth of the cave.

"Boss you fucking idiot!" Fable wailed as he ran alongside him. "Sure, go ahead and piss off the bats! I thought you were smart!"

Isis just shivered as she burrowed into his pocket. They scurried behind a boulder near the mouth of the cave to catch their breath. Only then did Aaron dare to look at his diminished health. 'Holy shit,' Aaron thought as he tried to catch his breath. 'How the fuck did I lose 253 health over that?' "Yeah, sorry about that," he said sheepishly, "I wasn't thinking."

"No, no you weren't," Fable snapped. "Where did the paranoid asshole that convinced a flock of zubat to give up their venom go? You've gotten stronger, but you're also getting overconfident, boss."

Aaron sighed, but found no flaw in his partner's words. "You're right." He gently picked Isis out of his coat pocket and placed her on his shoulder. "New plan," he said as he summoned his pistol in his dominant hand, "I dropped the flashlight, so we're going to have to pick it up or go in semi-blind. The glitter isn't enough to see much. Isis, I need you out here to be my eyes. Listen to the echoes and feel the displaced air. Then, try to lead us back to the swoobat colony. If we move quietly, we should be able to get past them without making them attack again."

"Not gonna try to negotiate?" Fable snarked, "maybe you can offer them some berries/"

"No, not this time. They're probably cross with us as it is. It's not worth the effort at this point. That said…" He sighed and thanked Arceus for repels. He withdrew an aluminum canister with a pastel-yellow coating then began spraying it around himself.

"Master, that stinks!" Isis yelped as she flew off his shoulder.

"Yeah, seriously, what the hell?"

Aaron sniggered as he finished spraying the recommended dosage over himself. "It doesn't smell that bad to me."

"Well your nose isn't as sharp as ours! At least warn us next time!" Fable cried.

"We do need this to get past the swoobat colony we pissed off, you know."

" _You_ ," Fable bit out, " _you_ pissed them off."

Aaron sighed as he scooped Isis in his hands again. Despite her struggling, he plopped her on top of his head. "Come on, you two. I promise I'll use it less from now on, okay?"

"Try not at all, master," Isis sulked but didn't move from her new perch.

Despite their grumbling, his two pokemon finally acquiesced and began to travel once again into the recesses of the cave. Fable took point to avoid the smell as much as possible. Isis… just tried not to think about the fact that she was effectively sitting on a mobile stink bomb. After twenty minutes of relatively stealthy wandering, they found Aaron's flashlight. He decided to hold it in his off hand with the light dimmed to the lowest setting and aimed down to avoid another violent response from the swoobat flock.

Roughly an hour later, they were stopped by a gray figure that leapt out of the shadows. It pounded the earth with enough force to form a small crater. It stood at about three feet tall with three distinct crests adorning its lizard-like face. The machop, for it could be nothing else, stood expectantly as it beckoned them forward.

"A-Are you challenging me?" Aaron asked dumbly. That was one thing that never quite sat right with him. Pokemon were, to varying degrees depending on the species, intelligent and self aware. And yet, not one of them developed what could be considered an advanced civilization. He had not been expecting something like a trainer battle from a wild pokemon. He would have expected something like the flock's reaction earlier, territorial rage, rather than disciplined challenge.

" **My creations are not so dumb as to be purely instinctual creatures, Aaron."**

'Maybe,' he thought, "but they're all a weird mix of instinctual and higher intelligence.'

" **Have you considered that what you view as higher intelligence is not what we view as higher intelligence?"** Palkia asked.

'What do you mean?'

" **Humans have generally higher mental abilities than that of many pokemon, but is that always a good thing? A pokemon is intrinsically programmed to desire or value something above all others. Sure, there are individual exceptions, but take that machop standing before you. You would be very hard pressed to find a machop that does not value strength and martial skill higher than intelligence."**

'Okay…'

" **Think, then, what could father have wanted for his creations by implanting an intrinsic desire?"**

Aaron took a moment to look at the machop more closely. He, most definitely a he, was standing proudly with no regard for his nakedness. His mouth was twisted into a confident smirk that made his intentions obvious without a single word. "If you want to pass, you need to beat me," that grin said. Slowly, the machop fell into a martial stance. 'How does a wild machop even learn basic karate anyway?' he wondered.

" **Who says he learned it?"** Dialga's metallic voice rumbled through his mind.

'You mean it's an instinctive skill? Like an egg move then. Or, like me… You guys implanted certain skills and behaviors in your creations," he realized.

" **Yes, just as a cat in your reality knows to purr to express pleasure, a machop in this reality has an instinctive drive to grow stronger, to realize his full potential, and is given the tools to take the first step."**

'That's the lesson here, isn't it? It's not about intelligence for you, Arceus, because you know everything there is to know about this reality. No one, alakazam or human, is going to match you in a conversation. It's about purpose.'

He was brought out of his musings by the machop's impatient stomp. "Oh, sorry. And yes, I would accept your challenge. Isis, please step forward," he said.

"M-Master, I can't! I'm blind!"

"And? If you can't see, then your first step should be to blind him as well, don't you think?" he advised calmly. "Now, go and acquit yourself well."

"I-I'll try," she said, still lacking confidence but unwilling to disappoint her new trainer. With hardly a signal, the machop flew forward with an overhead Karate Chop. Isis squawked in alarm and launched a Night Shade in his general direction. She leapt out of the way, her jump assisted by her limited flight capability.

The machop landed and turned to face her, only to receive a face full of beak. The tiny bird pokemon tried to follow her trainer's advice by aiming for his eyes with peck, but her opponent instinctually raised his guard and slapped her aside.

'Now, where were we? You created pokemon with a purpose in mind and each individual species is tailored to suit that purpose.'

" **Yes, and how does intelligence factor here?"** Arceus asked. Aaron could almost hear the fatherly smile, a teacher leading his student towards a new revelation.

'It does… and doesn't… Intelligence is only important to you inasmuch as it allows for the pursuit of a purpose. But… Arceus… humans… don't really have a purpose, do we?'

Seeing that she wasn't getting anywhere with frontal charges, Isis flew up to a stalactite and began firing Night Shades with alarming accuracy. While the machop was skilled for a wild pokemon, he simply wasn't fast enough to dodge the ranged attacks honed against a much faster opponent like Fable. He grunted in pain, but otherwise ignored it and began rushing towards her position.

" **Of course you do,"** Giratina's husky voice covered him like dusk. " **You're our entertainment."**

'But humanity as a whole?'

" **Why does this bother you?"** Dialga this time. " **Why does knowing that every other creature father made has a purpose, but man, bother you so?"**

'It doesn't-'

" **Do not lie to us, nor yourself, Aaron Phantomweiss. The former is impossible and the latter does you no good."**

'How can I not be bothered?' he cried mentally. 'I've just been told by the Creator of the Pokemon Multiverse that every single living thing but my own species has a purpose.'

" **Aaron,"** Arceus' tone was tranquil, like a calm lake, but the sheer depth of that lake allowed for nothing short of his full attention. " **In your reality, there is a saying, that you humans are 'fearfully and wonderfully made.' Have you heard of it?"**

'Y-Yeah…'

Isis felt the air move aside as the machop roared in defiance. She dove off of the stalactite just before his foot could crush her against the stone. This time, the machop swerved in mid air and slapped her to the cold stone floor with a rolling backhand. Her shrill shriek of pain brought Aaron out of his conversation once again.

"Isis," he shouted, allowing her to use his voice to reorient herself, "You can do this! Remember what I said, if you can't see, make sure he can't either!"

"H-How?" she cried as she dodged a Low Sweep. Suddenly, she was startled by the slight impact of a drop of water dripping down from a stalactite above her. "You could have just told me!" She focused for a moment and blew out a frosty Haze, obscuring the area altogether.

Aaron gave a triumphant woop. "I knew you could figure it out!"

Arceus than brought his attention back to his lesson on philosophy. " **And if I had a distinct purpose for all of humanity, would humans be as colorful and diverse as you all are? In truth, humanity does have a purpose: to be a randomizing factor unto my creations. A machop can only seek greatness through strength, but a man may choose greatness in whatever endeavor he pursues. Thus, almost every legend, every story, involves a man in some way."**

'So are we your entertainment after all?' Aaron couldn't help the note of bitterness in his tone.

" **No, you are the instruments of my will. In some ways, even more than the Legends, my direct children. When the world needs to change, or when my creations need inspiring, a human always seems up to the task. Yes, humans are often filthy, depraved creatures, but it is only in darkness that light can be manifest."**

'I… I'm not sure what to make of that…' he admitted. On one hand, humans had true freedom to choose a purpose for their lives. On the other hand, this also meant humans were directly responsible for their own actions. Humans didn't get to blame genetics or breeding or divine input or destiny, they were uniquely held accountable because Arceus gave them that liberty.

 **For realizing a great mystery of the nature of life and the creations of Arceus, you have earned 3 WIS! You have gained 2 REP with Arceus! You have gained 1 REP with Giratina, Dialga, and Palkia!**

" **For now, I recommend you watch your little bird,"** Palkia said warmly. " **A trainer should not miss his pokemon's first victory after all."**

Aaron smiled, shooting the space dragon an internal thank you before shifting his focus back out. He was just in time to see Isis Teleport behind the machop and knock it out with a wicked looking Peck that threw the reptilian martial artist across the cavern floor. A relentless Night Shade followed to make sure he stayed down.

 **You have gained 91 EXP!**

He ignored the notification in favor of checking on his pokemon. Although mildly bruised and tender, she seemed to be doing well. She was plopped against the cold floor, the adrenaline from the fight having just run through her system. "You were great, Isis. I knew you could figure it out."

"T-Thank you, master."

He took out a potion and began to treat her injuries. She winced at the cold medicine, but said nothing in protest.

 **You have won your first battle with Isis! You have gained 5 REP with Isis!**

The trio moved on from that point and came to the first major crossroad. Although he had a near encyclopedic knowledge of pokemon as an entertainment franchise, some of that knowledge didn't get translated perfectly when applied to a three dimensional world. For example, the location of the Mawilite was one such misplaced factoid. In the games, Aaron remembered it being on the floor only visible post-game. In reality, it was an heirloom. Similarly, he did not expect all the stones to be exactly where they were in game; he intended to use the games as guidelines rather than roadmaps.

However, some of his prior knowledge was more reliable than others. He knew with near certainty that a Kangaskhanite was in Glittering Cave at the end of the first rightward detour. Given how unlikely it was for someone to just stumble upon, recognize, and take the mega stone, it was safe to assume that this information was reliable. It was also the major reason Aaron decided to explore the cave in the first place. So, when he came upon this detour, with a passageway veering to the right, Aaron couldn't help the shiver of anticipation crawl up his spine.

He gathered his two pokemon to him and withdrew the Mawilite from his inventory. "Alright, you two. Do you remember this thing we took from that idiot viscount?"

Fable looked at the gem curiously. "Isn't that the stone yous aid could evolve some pokemon? What about it?"

"It feels powerful, master… I'm not sure why, but it makes me feel strange," Isis said. She approached the Mawilite with an almost reverent step. "It's got its own aura, doesn't it? It feels warm, comforting, like a nice blanket, but also dangerous. It… almost has teeth. It feels like its jaws are closing around me, but my body is too comfortable to move out of the way…"

"Yes, I think I've already explained the concept of a mega stone before. Well, we're here to get another one."

"Ooh, cool, and we won't even be breaking the law this time," Fable snarked.

Aaron cuffed his partner lightly. "Shut it. Now, I don't expect to meet any trainers, but wild pokemon might be a problem. When Arceus gave me this quest, he heavily implied that some stones might have challenges or guardians of their own so get ready for a fight, just in case."

"You received a quest from the Creator?" Isis shrieked.

'A bird that size has no business being that loud,' Aaron thought as he massaged his poor ears. "Yes, though Fable thinks I'm schizophrenic," he said drily.

"Nah, I think being the whole first aura guardian in centuries gives you some credibility, boss. I just like giving you a hard time."

"Anyway, long story short, Arceus gave me a quest, well, more like a dare really, to find all of the mega stones. So, that's what I'm going to do," he shrugged.

"So this is that goal that's harder than becoming the champion you were talking about, boss?"

"Yeah, I mean, eventually, you two will become champion-class pokemon, I don't doubt that, especially since I actually know what I'm doing when it comes to battles. Gathering all the mega stones and passing all of Arceus' trials on the way though? I think that's a goal worth aiming for, even if I'm the only one that knows it exists. Well, you two know now too so… you with me?"

The two faced each other for a moment as if in silent communication. A bunny and a bird staring each other down would have been weird enough had a stranger stumbled on the sight, but Aaron also knew that Isis couldn't really see Fable. Eventually, both nodded and faced him. "Yes, master/Let's do it, boss."

 **Omake: The Professor's Lessons: Day 6: Evolution**

Aaron and Augustine Sycamore were gathered around a coffee table in the latter's sitting room. They were meeting in the afternoon due to an international conference call Sycamore had with other regional professors, something about time zones and Oak getting too old to wake up in a timely manner anymore. The manor's north wing doubled as the professor's living quarters, a perk of being the most influential scholar in an entire country. Carol, his assistant, brought over three cups of tea and biscuits and took a seat.

'I wonder if she lives here too,' Aaron thought. He raised the cup of tea to his lips and allowed to aroma of mint, lemon, and something he couldn't quite identify to tickle his sinuses before taking a sip. "Holy shit, that's strong," he gasped. The scent of mint filled his mouth. It tasted like one part unsweetened lemongrass tea and another part toothpaste. It wasn't bad, especially with a sweet biscuit, just something he had never tasted before.

"Language, young man," Carol chided, "the professor happens to like it."

"Yes, her brewing skills is a big part of why I hired her," he joked. "I drink this tea to keep myself up after a long day."

"Hmm? You just had a phone call. Was it that bad?"

"Not bad," he hummed to himself, "just surprising."

"How so?"

"Steven, the Champion of Hoenn, has a mega evolution."

Aaron "choked" on his drink, better to pretend to be surprised than raise unwanted questions. "Which pokemon? Is it his aggron? Or metagross? Both are considered his signatures, right? And should you be telling me this? Isn't it some kind of League personnel only secret? Also, what brings about a mega evolution anyway?"

"One at a time. It was his metagross. And no, mega evolution is no secret. If it was, it'd be the worst kept secret in the world given that Diantha is a world renowned actress, Champion, and Grand Duchess. For the record, it's his metagross. To mega evolve, you need a mega stone for that specific species of pokemon along with a key stone for the trainer. The mechanics of how it works exactly are not well understood unfortunately. Where he managed to find one for his metagross is beyond me, but he did. No, the only secret is the complete list of mega evolutions, primarily to avoid over-hunting in an area. The public is now aware of gardevoir and metagross, but they are already well guarded, popular pokemon anyway."

"Cool… so, about mega evolution, it's temporary, right?" 'Tell me everything,' he cackled inwardly, 'I don't want to pretend to be a dumbass.'

"Yes, it's temporary. It's thought that keystones resonate with mega stones according to the bond between trainer and pokemon."

"How do you measure a bond? Do you have some way of quantifying friendship?"

Augustine laughed and ran a hand through his hair. "As a matter of fact, we can and do quantify friendship. There are several psychic and ghost type pokemon that can eat emotions and dreams, so it's not surprising. There is something called the HDSC, or Hypno Dream Strength Calculator. It measures the strength of a dream based off of the amount of nourishment the average hypno derives from eating said dream. It's not entirely accurate, but we can get a good idea. Something similar exists for the strength of the bond between trainers as well."

"Huh… I stand corrected…" 'Right, ridiculous world, ridiculous rules…' Aaron took a nibble of his biscuit. "Question: Is mega evolution comparable to a regular evolution that requires a key item like a fire stone?"

Carol refilled their cups and said, "I can take that, sir. You see, Aaron, objects like fire stones or meta coats possess a certain energy frequency that catalyzes a biological phenomenon in certain species of pokemon, growlithe and scyther for example. Mega evolution on the other hand, is considered temporary because a pokemon needs a constant inflow of energy from their trainer. That's another reason mega evolution is not often talked about: It's very taxing on the trainer. In her early days, Diantha even reported a minor seizure before she developed the mental fortitude to withstand her partner's new power. The short of it is this: Mega evolution requires a constant input of energy while things like fire stones are only required to catalyze a one time chain reaction. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, actually… and here I thought you just made tea," he joked.

Carol gave him a venomous glare. "I do not! I'll have you know I'm working on my doctorate!"

"Ahahaha… sorry?"

"Don't you forget it."

"Sooo…" he tried to change the subject, "does all of this mean that aura exists?"

Sycamore chuckled into his cup. "Yes, but measuring it is an even fuzzier affair than measuring dreams. Unlike dreams, aura can be broken down into eighteen different types and understanding what's what can be extremely difficult. I planned to let you pick a topic of your own for your final day. Would you like to go over it tomorrow?"

"Sure, that sounds great."

"Good, because I wasn't going to give you a choice. I'm tired and hungry so go home."

 **Author's Note**

 **Sophie's emotional state is interesting to write because much like Aaron, I'm not a very empathetic person either. I can only imagine what seeing dead bodies can do to a high school girl. It's a new experience for me. Normally, in shounen or other genres, you see main characters that are as young as twelve or thirteen just magically get over their mental hiccups. I won't make this a drama, but I hope I do these issues some justice.**

 **Shoutout to the authors of "This Bites." If you read this chapter, I want you all to know I admire you all so much. Thank you for an amazing story that does more to capture the sheer anarchy of the One Piece world than any other I've ever read.**

 **Fun fact: Figs are thought to be the oldest cultivated fruit, and the figy berry is directly based on them. Ferns are likewise the oldest plant on the fossil record to my knowledge (barring algae and such).**

 **The entire encounter with the swoobat colony was meant to provide some contrast between the Aaron at the start of this story and the Aaron now. Truth is, he isn't as cautious as he was when he first stumbled on a zubat colony. Then, he was weak and in an unfamiliar territory, making him wary of every potential threat. Now, he has a bit more experience, is already stronger than any human alive, and has grown more sure of himself, perhaps even overconfident. The point is, with the lack of Gamer's Mind, he does make mistakes. He isn't a min-maxed character because that isn't how Arceus wants him to be. The retention of humanity also means the retention of his fallibility.**

 **Yes, I am aware that woobat and swoobat don't learn Supersonic naturally. It actually requires an egg move, but I am including it because unlike the games, an ecosystem like the cave can house multiple species of bats. It wouldn't be strange for a zubat to breed with a woobat at some point.**

 **How did I figure that damage in the fight with the swoobat? Aaron has 49 VIT, which I basically used as the defense stat for simplicity's sake. A swoobat at around level 18, which would roughly be the level of the mobs you find in game, has a special attack of 38. Gust has a base power of 40 and Confusion has a base power of 50. I just added the special attack to the base power of the moves, making the two possible attacks deal 78 and 88 damage respectively. A level 15 woobat has a special attack of 26, which means its Gust deals 66 and Confusion deals 76 damage. Now, after subtracting the VIT points, you get:**

 **Swoobat's Gust: 29**

 **Swoobat's Confusion: 39**

 **Woobat's Gust: 17**

 **Woobat's Confusion: 27.**

 **I said before that I'm using the pokemon damage calculator as a general guide and I meant it. For example, it would make no sense for Lugia's Aeroblast to have the same base power as Earthquake (both 100). I'll be adjusting for things like that when they become relevant.**

 **As always, constructive feedback is appreciated. If you like my work, please support me on Pat reon dot com slash Sorre.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Preface**

 **Happy Monday! Or, at least, I hope to make someone's Monday a little better.**

 **You know the problem with writing a Gamer in a world full of (mostly) normal humans? There are few humans who can challenge Aaron, so there is no one you can adequately compare Aaron's capacity to. Hopefully, this chapter will give you a better idea.**

 **Also, I'd like to thank you guys for all the suggestions you made about his team. Lucario was the most common one, but I've also heard some sort of dragon pseudo legend, tyrantrum, aerodactyl, volcarona, ditto (to abuse Transform), gengar, etc. I think I've made it fairly obvious that most of Aaron's pokemon are going to be fairly underappreciated, but I'll definitely make my nod to one of those eventually. In the meantime, the first person to guess Aaron's third pokemon gets a cookie.**

 **Chapter 9: Rocky Road**

Sophie stood back after giving the Amaura a bath, the feel of its smooth scales and glossy sail tingling her fingertips. The water she used was a modest lukewarm for her, but came off as comfortably toasty to the ice type. "Say, Dr. Grear, is this good?"

Vincent Grear walked over to examine her handiwork. "Aurora certainly seems happy enough. Thanks for your help with the chores; we finished much faster than we normally would. Feel free to hang around and play with Aurora, I think she likes the company."

The saurian gave a crooning hum in agreement and nudged Sophie's stomach. Despite her playful nature, Aurora was strong enough to almost send Sophie off her feet. "Ooof, you've got a hefty headbutt there."

"Yes, we've found that the amaura line have extraordinarily powerful muscles all along their spine. For amaura, that means they can give a heck of a headbutt if threatened. Aurorus on the other hand, Diantha's at any rate, use those muscles to whip their opponents into submission with their tails."

"That doesn't sound too bad," she mused.

"Did you know that a prinplup can slap someone with its wings hard enough to break a grown man's arm? Now imagine a multi-ton creature like Diantha's aurorus, about the size of two houses end to end by the way, hitting someone with his tail. She's told me that she's seen him turn boulders to powder like that."

"Huh…" She fell silent as she scratched Aurora near the base of her sails. "Say, can I bring out my pokemon? I think they'd enjoy meeting Aurora."

"It should be fine as long as none of your pokemon are particularly aggressive. What do you have?"

"A swablu, litleo, and mienfoo," she said proudly.

"Go ahead then. Aurora's already been vaccinated and her immune system should be as good as any pokemon from the modern age. Have fun," he said as he strolled leisurely back into the lab. "I'm going to grab a snack and maybe work on that book I've been writing."

"What a laid back guy," she smiled at his retreating form.

X

As they walked further into the cavern, Aaron couldn't help the feeling that they were being watched. No, that wasn't quite right. No one was watching them. Nonetheless, a pressure filled the air that was simultaneously ominous and protective. Most of all, it was _judging_. No one was watching them, but he could tell, whoever was at the end of this path, they knew they were here. 'This… kinda feels like the first time I met you guys,' Aaron noted, 'like there's something weighing the air down.'

" **What you are feeling is aura, Aaron,"** Palkia said.

" **And we don't feel like that at all. If we approached you at our best, your very soul would have been squeezed out of existence. Do not compare this modest thing to us."**

'Well duh, I mean I figured you were holding back and all, Dialga. I appreciate the lack of soul crushing force though.'

" **That's right, learn your place, pathetic human,"** Giratina scoffed.

"At least I have opposable thumbs," he grumbled under his breath.

Fable and Isis looked towards him. "You say something, boss?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Umm, okay… Not to doubt the voices in your head, but are we going in the right direction?"

Fable was surprised when Isis was the one who answered. "Yes, Fable, we are going in the right direction. Ever since we stepped foot in this part of the cave, the air has had a certain… denseness… to it that I can't explain. It's not humidity, it's something else."

"Aura," he added.

"Yes, aura. I've never felt it in such amounts before."

"Be on guard. This much aura in the air means whatever's in here is crazy strong." His two pokemon nodded.

Before they could take another step, a rumbling laugh echoed through the cave. It was almost too low to hear, more a vibration to be felt rather than a sound to be heard. "You are cautious, that's good," came a husky voice from the shadows.

"A guardian of the Kangaskhanite… let me guess, you're a really old kangaskhan?" Aaron ventured. He surprised himself with how sure he sounded. If his voice was to reflect his mental state, he would have been a quivering mess. He had a feeling that any trial of Arceus' design would be anything but simple.

Sure enough, a brown, hulking figure almost sixteen feet tall loomed out of the shadows. In preparation for this, he had browsed the pokedex entry on kangaskhan the previous night. It dared claim that the average specimen was a paltry seven feet three inches tall. He had never wanted to declare a blood feud against a piece of technology more in his life… 'How old does a kangaskhan have to be to grow that large?' he wondered. He didn't dare voice his question. If Giratina was anything to go by, pokemon could be weirdly, almost humanly prickly about some topics… like age...

The mother kangaskhan, or probably great, great grandmother, was a strange cross between dinosaur and kangaroo. Unlike most mature adults of her species, her stomach pouch was empty of offspring. Her eyes were a deep auburn, almost red, and seemed to peer into his soul Her head plate was so thick that he doubted an bastiodon's would be any thicker. It was a deep brown, nearly black, and had been worn smooth with age. Similarly, the crested ridges that would normally adorn a kangaskhan's shoulders were missing possibly lost in some great duel to the death. The large claws on her hands and feet were likewise worn and blunted. Somehow, he doubted that she would be any less effective as a combatant because of them. Instead of piercing and tearing, those claws would grind and crush like the teeth of a construction crane.

"Have you stared long enough, Favored One?" she asked in the same husky voice that seemed to shake his entire body.

"Favored One?"

"I am old, youngling. Older than old. Your parents' parents were barely younglings like you when I was merely old. I once belonged to a trainer, a partner. His name was Elias. Together, we ruled this land."

Aaron's breath caught at that. "Ch-Champion Elias?"

She snorted with mirth. "Yes, that is what you humans called him." Elias had been the Grand Duke, Champion of Kalos, three generations before Diantha. He was known for a tremendously powerful kangaskhan that could hit twice as hard as even a tyranitar. More, he was one of four champions in history who had _retired_ , not lost. His signature kangaskhan was standing before them. Any hope Aaron had of somehow eking out a win against the massive creature died an ignoble death in his chest. Beside him, his two pokemon pressed themselves to the ground, hoping to go unnoticed. "Elias and I once found a stone, a stone that lent tremendous power to my daughter while she was still suckling in my pouch."

Suddenly, it all clicked. "The mega stone," he breathed, "you used it to empower your daughter instead of yourself."

She laughed. It was a booming laugh, nearly too low to hear, but powerful enough to force him to his knees. "Yes, such was my daughter's bravery, such was her passion to follow in my footsteps, that I could not refuse her." Then, all mirth died and she sighed, the weight of age making her shoulders sag. "I buried her here, you know," she whispered. "She loved the glitter of these stones so I buried her here after she died. Here, with the stone."

He was lost for words. He had nothing to say. To him, the Kangaskhanite was a powerful tool, something that would give him EXP. To her, it was a memento of her daughter and trainer. "I…" he opened his mouth but no words would come. What could he say to her?

"Save your breath, Favored One. I am old. One day soon, I too shall go to sleep and here, here I shall rest with my daughter. But it seems the Creator has one final task for me. I shall determine your worth. Prove yourself, and claim our legacy. This is the task I set before you: Strike me. If you can make me bleed even a single drop, you may walk away with the stone. If not… I shall beg the Creator's pardon for slaying his Favored One."

Aaron swallowed slowly. "And if I choose to walk away?" he asked cautiously.

"Good, you have some sense," she chuckled. "Alas, I will not permit it."

"Time, then. I want time."

"Very well, take sixty of your minutes to find a strategy if you so choose. When you are finished, come further into my lair. Do not try to leave, Favored One. I will know." Having said her piece, she walked back into the shadows, leaving the trio alone once more.

Aaron marveled at her silence. The amount of self-control she had to possess to not make a single footstep sound like clapping thunder with her weight boggled his mind. She wasn't just a creature of unimaginable power; she was a creature of a century of experience and grace. Most importantly, she was a creature with enough skill to be the flag bearing pokemon of a Champion's team and age only seemed to make her stronger.

"Wow," as usual, it was Fable who broke the silence first. "What now, boss?"

"How are you unafraid, Fable?" Isis whispered as though the giant kangaskhan would reappear at any moment to crush them to chunky paste.

"There's nothing to it. We turn our backs and we will die. We hesitate and we will die. We go forward… and we will still probably die, but at least it's a probably and not a definitely. Besides," he shot her a grin that faded when he remembered she couldn't see it, "do you have any idea how long I've waited to meet a champion-class pokemon? I mean, I know I'm not ready, but seeing one is exciting on its own." True to his words, the little rabbit was hopping from foot to foot like some sort of energizer bunny someone had charged using a lightning bolt.

Aaron watched the byplay for a minute and couldn't help the smile that broke on his face. Leave it to Fable to be _excited_ over facing such an indomitable opponent. "Fable's right, Isis. If we want live, we need to win. If we want to win, we need a plan."

"So, let's hear it, boss." The hyperactive bunny hopped onto his head.

"First things first. I was hoping I could use this to get back to Ambrette more easily, but needs must." He opened his inventory and took out a single coin. He focused his aura and marked it with Teleport. Back in his room at the pokemon center, a marker on the bedpost glowed dimly then vanished. Tying the coin to a small band, he wrapped it around Fable's torso. "There, I can Teleport to you whenever we need now. The plan is simple. Our only objective is to make her bleed. She didn't say anything else, meaning we don't have to hit conventional targets. Aim for places with thinner hide like armpits, back of the knees, ears, etc."

"Isn't that dirty?"

Aaron shot Fable a look. "If you want to punch her head on, go right ahead, but I have a feeling I'm going to be looking for a new bunny," he said drily. "As soon as we get inside her nest, we're going to split up. Isis, you and I are going to use Haze the first chance we get. Fable, you're going to turn the entire floor into a Spike filled mess."

"She can probably ignore the Spikes, boss. Her hide will be too thick to make her bleed," he pointed out.

"I know, but that's okay. It's not supposed to make her bleed, it's supposed to inconvenience her. Honestly, I don't think anything we have is strong enough or sharp enough to make her bleed except my combat knife. Isis might be able to do it with Peck, but only if she hits somewhere like an ear. Fable, your job is to use Agility to distract her. Use Mud Slap if you need to to keep her from pinpointing one of us."

"Got it."

"Isis, your job is to use Night Shade and do the same. Keep her from focusing on Fable. Use Teleport when you need to Shade probably won't affect her at all, but if you aim for the eyes, you might be able to distract her."

"What'll you be doing, master?"

"I'm going to be doing much the same thing you will. When we get the chance though, I'm going to Teleport to the coin I have on Fable and stab her in the shin or something."

"That… That's not much of a plan…" Isis mumbled.

He sighed and picked her up, cradling her to his chest. "I know," he said, "but it's all we've got. Tell you what, the moment I say so, Teleport us back to town. I doubt she can stop us."

"Umm… I can't… I'm not strong enough to move two people with me. I'm sorry, master."

'Well, there goes our last resort,' Aaron thought sadly. "That's okay, we should still be able to win this challenge," he said with as much bravado as he could manage. "All we need is one hit after all."

After a few more minutes, Aaron took out some food and allowed his pokemon to get in a handful of nibbles. "Don't eat too much," he warned. "If you do, you'll only make it harder during the fight. Just eat enough to keep yourself focused."

X

The cave rapidly widened into a massive chamber. Glowing crystals of hexagonal quartz lined the walls and made his flashlight redundant. Here, the giant kangaskhan waited, eyes closed and crouched as though in deep prayer or meditation. The only sign that she noticed their entrance was a slight twitch of her ear.

"I hope you came with a plan," she rumbled.

"We'll see," he replied with a confidence he didn't truly feel. 'I swear, if I die, I'm going to spend eternity making fun of Giratina.'

" **I swear, if you die, I'm going to rip off your arm and shove it so far up your spiritual ass you'll be clipping nails with your teeth,"** she sniped back.

'Glad to know you care,' he thought back. Slowly, the kangaskhan drew to her full height. "Before we begin," he called, "what's your name? I can't say I know much about Champion Elias, but he's got to have given you a name at some point, right?"

She hummed in thought, such a simple action sending waves throughout the chamber. "It's been a long time since anyone has called me by name, Favored One, so long that its significance is only within the confines of my memories. Nonetheless, you may hear it. Once, I was called Maya, Maya the Titan."

"Maya," he muttered, as if to feel the weight of the name on his tongue, "it's a good name. I wish you the best, Ma - SPLIT!" he roared. His pokemon scattered, Fable running to the left while Isis flew to the right. Aaron dashed forward and drew his pistol. 'Two to the head, three to the chest,' he thought to himself as he fired out the five shots necessary for the classic spread.

If he caught her by surprise, she didn't show it. With a speed that belied her size, Maya casually slapped the bullets out of the air, the thick hide covering the back of her hand more than enough to shrug off anything short of armor piercing rounds from a military grade sniper rifle. Undeterred, Aaron continued ro rush towards her.

At the last moment, his pistol seemingly disappeared into thin air, only to be replaced with a thick combat knife with a wicked, serrated edge. She quirked an eye, but otherwise didn't react. The knife lodged into her abdomen where the pouch was. Or, it would have, but her hide was far too thick for him to do any real damage.

She chuckled, more amused than annoyed by his attempt. "Did you think this would be so simple? Bull taurus have had trouble piercing my hide." She raised her massive paw and slapped him away as though he weighed as much as those bullets earlier.

 **\- 90 HP!**

He flew in a graceful arc and landed with the elegance of a professional gymnast. "Oh? So you are quite agile for a human."

'Good, she's not taking me seriously,' he thought. If she were, it would have been a full fledged Hammer Arm and not that love tap. He would be dead, no questions asked. "Isis, now!" he shouted as frosty mist emmenated from his hands.

A frosty mist filled the air as Isis' Haze took effect. Maya once again just stood there, calmly pretending to clean the dirt from her nails, something she picked up from her old trainer no doubt. "You do know I can sense you, right?"

"Scrappy?"

"Yes, actually. If a normal type fights enough ghosts, sooner or later, they begin to develop a sixth sense for elusive opponents. You have no idea how many fools thought a ghost type would be enough to shut me down," she said idly. Her eyes flickered, wandering around the room. First to Aaron, then to Isis and Fable. As her gaze settled on him, he thought she looked mildly puzzled before she shook her head.

He motioned for Fable to begin laying Spikes around their opponent. Experimentally, he pulled his gun and shot from what should have been her blind spot. She didn't even bother to react besides a minor tilt of her head to dodge. "Huh, so you're not lying."

She scoffed. "Lying is for the weak. Now, I think I've given you enough time to test the waters."

'OHSHITOHSHITOHSHITOHSHITOHSHIT!' Gone were the gentle, soundless steps that she had appeared with. Now, each step shook the cave and cratered the earth. The shockwaves alone threatened to unbalance him. With more luck than skill, he got out of the way of her first charge, only to panic anew as a white glow encompassed her fist. Desperate, he used his trump card and teleported to Fable's side. The blow meant for him met the earth with a deafening explosion.

"Hmmm, I think I now see why you are so favored by the Creator. An aura guardian, and one that even knows Teleport at that." She praised him, but instead of a feeling of achievement, all he felt was mounting dread. "I don't think any aura guardian learned such a useful move so young in their careers. I wonder what else you can do?"

Aaron panicked. He picked up Fable and threw him to one side while running in a different direction. He fired six more bullets in a strafing pattern, but was entirely ignored as she charged towards him. He ducked under a Mega Punch and managed to dodge the second thanks to Fable lobbing a Mud Shot at her face.

She growled in irritation and turned, only to step on a strategically placed earthen caltrop. Had he been expecting her to howl in pain, he would have been sorely disappointed. She ran right through it, the compact earth far too brittle to even be noticed. Isis then took that moment to shoot a Night Shade at her eye, only for the ghostly energy to disperse harmlessly. With a flick of her finger, a Thunderbolt shot out to clip her wing wing. It was merely a glancing blow, but still enough to cause her to plummet to the cavern floor.

"Isis!" Aaron rushed forward with Agility to catch her.

While he was preoccupied with the downed bird, Maya had already caught up to Fable. He was a moment away from using Agility to get away, but her eyes flashed red and he suddenly found that his legs wouldn't obey him anymore. She grabbed him and hurled him towards Aaron, sending all three of them sprawling to the floor.

"Haze to obscure vision. Spikes to impede movement. Teleport and Agility for maneuverability. Ranged attacks to slowly wear down a superior opponent. Your strategy is sound, guardian, and against anyone else, it might have even worked. But I think you're all out of tricks now. As promised, you will die here."

She raised one foot and stepped down with barely a sound. On the surface, it looked as though she had only tapped her foot, as if to a music only she could hear, but the cave floor rebelled violently against that notion. Aaron, Fable, and Isis fell against the ground once more. Back in his world, he had wondered how moves like Earthquake could cause so much damage to a mobile opponent. "It's just a little vibration," he had told himself. After all, muscle and bone were unlike brick homes that would shake apart. Biological matter was much more flexible than that.

He regretted ever doubting the validity of the move. He tried to get up, but his feet could find no purchase against the shifting stone. Every few seconds, a jagged shard of rock would rise up to punch him like a baseball. The trembling earth transferred its vibration through his body and he winced as he felt his bones grind against one another.

 **-130 HP!**

With trembling hands, he brought out potion and downed it. He couldn't remember if there were side effects on humans, but he was more than willing to suffer them if it would let him survive the next ten minutes.

Maya looked amused and brought her foot down a second time. A giant chasm opened up to swallow them. Even in the chaos of it all, Aaron saw that not one crystal that bordered the chamber was out of place. In the shaking, he lost his hold on Isis and she fell into a crevice.

"Isis!" he cried out as he dove for the bird. She tried to stay in the air, to reorient herself, but with the world all around her trembling, she couldn't tell which way was up. He managed to fish her out in time, barely tossing her over the edge of the chasm. Using Agility, he tried to jump out. Before he could escape fully, Maya brought her foot down once more and the crevice closed on his leg. "AARRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHH!" he cried out as he felt his shin turn to a red slurry.

 **-280 HP!**

"What will you do now, Favored One?" she asked as she walked towards them. She approached slowly. Although her footsteps didn't have the same thunderous impact as when she was charging, they felt all the more ominous.

Aaron looked to his left and saw Fable struggling to stand. He could see a sizable bruise over his eye and the normally energetic rabbit was walking with a noticeable limp. To his right, Isis was shivering in abject terror, too afraid to move, never mind fight. Slowly, he came to a decision.

"Maya, wait," he said.

"Hmm? Last words? Very well, I will hear them."

"Let Isis and Fable leave." Silence filled the chamber as all three looked at him with surprise. "They followed me because I'm their trainer, but they don't deserve to die here. They thought I could be the best trainer in the world just because I had aura. To be honestly, so did I, but none of that matters now. Let them go. This was my test and I failed."

"Boss, what the hell?" Fable yelled. "You promised me you'd make me a champion!"

"Y-You said I could be strong, master. Were those all just words?" Isis cried. She felt useless. It was abundantly clear that Peck wouldn't pierce the Titan's hide and Night Shade was ineffective altogether.

"Get out of here, you idiots. I tried. I failed. Now go find a trainer who can make you stronger!"

"FUCK THAT! If you're going to die like a pathetic dumbass here then you don't have the right to be my boss! YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Fable ran. Instead of running for the entrance, he ran straight at the hulking kangaskhan, his body aglow with as much power as he could muster. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" He roared as he forced every bit of aura he had into one final Quick Attack.

The last ditch attack caught Maya by surprise. The glowing white missile of fur and impotent rage surged for her head. When she reeled her head back in shock, she lost her balance and fell on her side, causing her ear to graze a sharp rock she had raised with Earthquake only moments before. The delicate skin of her ear tore, and a single drop of blood wet the floor…

… Just kidding, of course not. Fable, while fast, had nowhere near enough power to match a bullet and Maya had slapped aside bullets before with ease. He ran straight into her head plate and screamed in pain as he felt the bone and cartilage in his ears snap. Before he could hit the floor, a massive, clawed hand caught him.

"Impressive," she said, "I think I have seen enough. You pass." Hearing those words, the three had drastically different reactions. Fable and Isis looked utterly confused, as though they had just found out the cave was made of chocolate. Aaron though… Maya thought she could see a flicker of acceptance before it was replaced by a mask of similar shock. "It is with great honor that I present to you the Kangaskhanite… I wish I could say that, but it wasn't much of an honor, Favored One. You and your friends have a long way to go."

Despite her words, she reached into her pouch and withdrew a small stone. It looked identical to the Mawilite, but with a different color palet. Aaron tried to stand to take it, but still couldn't lift his shin out of the crevice without cursing up a storm. "A little help would be nice," he wheezed.

Maya snorted in amusement before leaving the stone in front of him. "Oh, very well." With a wave of her hand, the cavern floor smoothed itself.

 **You have impressed Maya the Titan to acquire the Kangaskhanite! Okay… sorta? Not really...**

 **You have survived Maya the Titan to acquire the Kangaskhanite! You have gained 500 EXP! VIT, STR, DEX, INT, WIS, LUK, and CHA have all increased by 2!**

 **As a reward for passing this trial, you have learned the skill, Comet Punch!**

 **You have leveled up! You are now level 17!**

"Wait," Fable yelled, "what do you mean we pass?"

Maya laughed, a booming laugh that threatened to dislodge the stalactites hanging precariously from the ceiling. She shot Aaron a knowing look and moved to the far end of her nest. She laid down with a giant yawn and curled her tail around herself. "Ask your trainer. I suspect this was his plan from the beginning. Although… I hope you won't expect everything to go your way in the future. Devious child… quite the precocious one," she mumbled as she buried her massive head into the cavern floor.

Aaron chuckled weakly and gestured to his now freed, but still mangled leg. "I wouldn't say everything went my way," he said drily.

"... Master…" Isis faced him with none of her usual shyness. She looked at Fable, who had managed to crawl back to them, and then at Aaron. Then, her beak was filled with white light and expanded to four times its size. "You. Are. Such. An. Ass." She punctuated each word with a vicious peck towards his head.

Aaron tried to cover himself from her assault, but didn't really have the heart to stop her. "Ow! Stop that! Isis!"

"What? Do you expect me to find another trainer? Who else would look twice at a blind natu? Huh? Why can't you realize that your the only hope I have?" She wailed.

"Seriously, is no one going to explain this to me?" Fable.

Whatever Aaron was planning to say, he was interrupted by a large thumping noise as Maya beat the earth with her tail. "Take it outside," she grumbled. "You kids are noisy. I just want to sleep until I'm dead." Maya smiled as the three crawled out of her den, then flicked her tail at a nearby shadow. "You too, brat…"

X

It took Aaron all the potions he had before he could walk again. It was a marvel to see. His shattered bones restructured themselves like pieces of some macabre jigsaw puzzle. His blood flowed back into freshly formed veins. His muscles knit themselves together and although his leg was still tender, he could walk and that's what mattered.

Fable and Isis each took several doses of mago berry extract. In the games, Aaron had used it as a held item to restore half his pokemon's HP. In the real world, it wasn't anywhere near that effective, but neither were as hurt as he was. Fable's ears were broken, but a splint from his first aid kit and time would do the rest.

The three limped out of Maya's den, thoroughly humbled and in two cases, more confused than they'd ever been in their lives. "Umm… master, what exactly happened there?" Isis asked from her perch on his shoulder when they had gotten far enough as to not disturb Maya.

Aaron said nothing, instead choosing to find a quiet hole in the wall illuminated by a quartz crystal. He set himself down and brought out several premade dinners. "Later. I'm going to gorge myself then we can talk, okay? You two must be hungry too."

After eating, Aaron decided that the trio would be better off resting and laid out his sleeping mat. Too tired to do anything resembling clean, he tossed all dishes, utensils, and trash inside his inventory and plopped down onto the mat. The normally substandard sleeping arrangement felt heavenly after their ordeal. "Alright," he patted his mattress and his two pokemon sat on his left and right, "let's talk."

"Sure, what was Maya talking about?"

"First things first, I would like to apologize," Aaron began. "I dragged you two into danger for what amounts to a selfish quest." He bowed his head.

"Raise your head, boss. Humility doesn't suit you," Fable snorted.

Isis sighed, her quiet voice sending a haunting echo through the narrow space. "Fable, weren't you mad at master?"

"Still am," he snapped, "but punching his lights out isn't going to change what happened." He spat off to the side then leveled Aaron with a deathly serious stare. "Not telling me everything is fine. I'm the pokemon. You're the trainer. You're the one that needs to know what's going on. What I can't stand is that you told us to leave you. If you _ever_ tell us to leave you behind, I'm going to gut you myself, got it?"

Beside him, Isis nodded vigorously. Aaron looked at the angry rabbit and the green ball of feathers and couldn't help but break into laughter. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it. Although, you know that my life is only going to get harder, don't you? Arceus is firmly of the opinion that you only grow stronger through hardship so he won't be pulling his punches on these trials."

"Do we look like we give a damn?"

"Ha! Okay then, from now on, we're in this together. I'm going to be dragging you into every remotely dangerous thing this world has to offer so prepare yourselves."

Fable shot him a crooked grin. "Sounds like fun."

"I… I'm not sure about fun, but I'm coming too!" Isis chirped out.

"Good, now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the whole lot of whoop-ass Maya served up for us. The test wasn't about beating her, or even touching her. That was impossible from the start." Aaron held out a hand, forestalling Fable's protests. "I'm not doubting your potential, but that's all it is for now: potential. You're only now learning to manipulate aura. You can barely mold ground type attacks. Isis doesn't even know a single psychic type move. I still believe that each of you can be the best of your species, but that won't be for a while. Meanwhile, Maya has had over a century to learn and grow. Sure, she's old, but I think she's proven that aging isn't the same thing as wasting away. No, we were never meant to hit her. The one drop of blood rule was meant to distract from the real reason for the test. The real objective here was the demonstrate our bond as trainer and pokemon."

"How do you know?"

"And why didn't you say anything sooner?"

Aaron shrugged helplessly. "There wasn't any time. I only realized it halfway through the fight and then we were getting our asses handed to us so hard that I couldn't afford to say anything that wouldn't help us survive the next five seconds. And as for how I know, there were a few clues. Do you remember how I said a mega mawile had a different ability than the regular mawile?" Two nods. "Yea, a mega kangaskhan has a special ability that no other pokemon can have called Parental Bond."

"I assure you my mom loved me fine," Fable said drily.

"I appreciate your attempt at humor, but that's not what I'm talking about. When Maya and I were talking before, she said that she used the mega stone to empower her daughter, allowing them to fight together."

"Is that even legal?"

"Yes, actually. Kangaskhan young are considered to be auxiliary accessories, just like a slowbro's shellder tail. Anyway, that was my first clue, though I didn't realize it immediately: I was being tested to earn something that would draw strength from the bond between trainer and pokemon to empower the bond between parent and child. It's logical then that it would test the bonds we have ourselves.

"The second clue was that despite Maya saying I could die from this test, she never actively tried to kill me. I thought it was just her being confident, but that wasn't it. If she wanted to be, she could have easily crushed us at any time just by continuing to use Earthquake. That told me that beating her in a head on fight wasn't the point.

"The final clue wasn't so much a clue as a feel for Arceus' personality I got while talking to him. I don't understand Arceus' divine will or anything, but he does have a few themes. He values some things more than others: self-reliance, perseverance, and growth are on top of that list. He _wants_ me to discover the secrets of aura and the first step to that is having a connection with my pokemon. Does this make sense?"

"I think so…" Isis began.

"Yeah… too complicated… just let me know if you expect to get into some life or death battles anytime soon…" Fable said as he curled up into a ball, ready for sleep.

Aaron chuckled as he lifted Isis and placed her atop a spare pillow. "Not that I…"

"You have something, don'cha?"

"Yeah… there's a group called Team Flare that should be mining for fossils illegally here. We're probably going to have to either chase them off or catch them. I don't expect this to end in death, but I'm not going to risk our lives in the name of mercy."

"Good," the bunny grunted. Isis looked less comfortable with the idea of killing, but didn't seem likely to protest either. "Anyway, can we get some sleep? We can worry about this tomorrow, right?"

"Fair. Good night, Fable, Isis."

"Goodnight, boss/master."

 **Through this heart to heart with your pokemon, you have gained 5 REP with Fable and Isis! You have gained 1 REP with Arceus, Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina!**

Even as Aaron waved away the notification, he failed to notice a pair of crimson eyes staring at him through the shadows. He dreamed of haunting laughter and crimson gemstones.

X

Sophie laughed as she made her way through the pokemon center doors, Shiner cradled in her arms. "Aurora was really cool, huh?" she giggled, "Pun totally intended."

In her arms, Shiner the swablu rolled her eyes. Her trainer could be such a dork. Nonetheless, Aurora _had_ been very fun. The saurian hand breathed out a large snowdrift using Powder Snow for Shiner and Yuengling to play with. Admittedly Corona wasn't much of a fan, but that was to be expected, him being a fire type and all.

When she made it to the residential area, she knocked on Aaron's room but received no answer. "Huh, guess he's going to take another day to explore." Just then, her holo caster rang. The jinggle was a song her father used to sing to her, badly. Once, she had gotten so fed up with it that she had learned to play the dumb thing herself just to prove how bad he was at singing. She smiled at the innocent memory. She received a brief message from Aaron confirming what she already figured; he would be remaining in the cave. "Great, I'm going to take a shower. Then we can go grab some dinner from the cafeteria, okay, Shiner?"

After a quick shower, she released Yuengling and Corona and the four of them made their way back down to the cafeteria. As they grabbed their food, Sophie looked around. Ambrette wasn't one of the major trainer stops due to the absence of a gym, but there was a decent number of water and rock type trainers that called this seaside town home. The diet of pokemon never failed to amaze her. In one corner, a trainer coaxed his graveler with what appeared to be bits of quartz. In another, a marowak crunched down on a pile of bones, likely from the same grumpig the chop she was eating came from. She remembered something her mother had mentioned about the species: When evolving from a cubone, a marowak's outer skull fuses with the rest of its body, making it a part of the head rather than a separate helmet. To keep up with the increased nutritional requirement, they sometimes ate the bones of other pokemon for calcium.

The dietary needs of her own pokemon were much tamer in comparison. Corona munched on a similar order as herself: grumpig chop minus the side of asparagus. Yuengling ate a balanced order of fruits, grains, and goldeen filet. Shiner's diet was perhaps the most unusual. The fluffy down of her wings kept her body much warmer than expected, so her species required little in the way of suet and other fatty foods that many other bird pokemon craved. Her diet would only really change upon evolution, in which she'd develop a taste for meat and the occasional need to hunt. Sophie hoped Corona and Shiner could learn to hunt together. If she learned anything from Jody and her rampant haxorus, it was that she shouldn't try to discourage the instinctual behavior of her pokemon. Instead, she should try to mold and cultivate them. She only hoped she had what it takes to do so.

Before retiring for the night, the trio moved to the training field to watch. "Corona, Yuengling, Shiner," she called, "I know we didn't do anything but play today, but tomorrow, we're going to be training here, okay?"

The trio looked at one another then at her trainer. Each gave an affirmatory cry before turning their attention to the battles in progress. In one area, an absol was trying to duel a zangoose. In another, a shelgon and barbaracle were butting heads. Sophie could tell, both fights were out of her league. Judging by the lapel pin that the trainer of the zangoose was wearing, he was a ranger, which meant at least four badges, which also meant his sparring partner was at a similar level. She knew the barbaracle and shelgon were out of her league as well simply due to the amount of time a dragon took to evolve. Anyone with a middle or final evolutionary stage dragon type, especially a pseudo legend, was likely to be a veteran. There were some exceptions, but not many. And barbaracle… there was a reason "barbaric" was in the name. They were notoriously hard to control due to their multiple brains and getting one, or a collective, to cooperate could be challenging even for type specialists. She and her four pokemon watched, marveling at the skill of the more experienced pokemon.

Both zangoose and absol materialized phantasmal swords in the air that converged on their respective persons, shrouding them with a pale, glowing light. "Swords Dance," Sophie whispered for her pokemons' benefit. The absol's scythe-like horn grew to ridiculous proportions before a pitch black aura covered it. The zangoose responded by sending the aura surrounding it to its claws. Sophie imagined all that power being compressed to its claws and shivered. Its claws lengthened, almost as large as an excadrill's biological shovels now. The Night Slash and Crush Claw clashed with a loud bang. For a moment, the two seemed to be tied in strength, but the zangoose's arm was much more mobile than the absol's neck and with a minute tilt of its wrist, it sent the Night Slash to its left. Sophie gasped, watching Aaron and Yuengling train together had given her a decent understanding of body type and maneuverability. The zangoose's left would be the absol's right. Normally, the absol's horn guards its temple and neck but parrying the attack in the direction of the horn allowed the zangoose to circle around to the absol's flank without getting gored. Sure enough, the fight ended when the zangoose launched a vicious combination of Fury Swipes empowered by Swords Dance and Crush Claw to the absol's exposed flank before it could leap away. The absol's trainer recalled it as quickly as she could, but its left side and flank were already torn to bloody strips. It would need more than a single night's stay at the pokemon center to recover.

Sophie felt a little green at the show of brutality, especially from a ranger, but watched anyway. This was a part of why she had stopped travelling, but she also knew that violence would become a part of life she'd just have to accept when her pokemon evolved. Their competitive spirit and territorial nature would urge them to seek out battles, with or without her. This went double for Corona and as much as she loved the little cub, she worried she wouldn't be able to keep up with his natural ferocity.

On the other training field, the battle took a much different zangoose and absol, neither shelgon nor barbaracle were known for their speed. Instead, the shelgon was using a combination of Iron Defense, Protect, and Endure to weather a storm of Hone Claws boosted attacks. She wondered why the shelgon wasn't fighting back until the barbaracle dropped to one knee, its body unable to support its own weight. Then, before the barbaracle could recover its footing, the rotund dragon coated itself in an azure aura before launching forward in a vicious Dragon Rush that ended the fight. The rock and water type was out cold, all seven brains, and the stony exterior that covered its softer bits was visibly cracked from the impact. The barbarcle's trainer screamed something about Toxic being cowardly or some such, but Sophie tuned out the argument.

She looked down at her pokemon. Corona was practically vibrating with excitement. 'He really deserves a more combative trainer,' she thought. Yuengling, although not quite as excitable as Corona, was clearly interested in the zangoose's technique. Shiner wasn't too thrilled, but she noticed that her wings were rustling restlessly. "Tomorrow, we're going to try to work on our agility," she said, catching each of their attention. "You recall how Aaron, Isis, and Fable played tag to train themselves, right? We're going to do the same. Then, maybe if we have time, we can convince a few trainers for a match."

X

 **You have slept in a makeshift bed! Half of your HP and MP have been restored!**

Aaron touched his leg gingerly to make sure that it was whole again. Having it crushed by an Earthquake was not an experience he intended to repeat. Although sleeping in his sleeping bag only restored half his health, his base health regeneration had taken care of the rest quite easily. 'Just another reason the Gamer is a broken power,' he thought wryly. He shook Isis and Fable awake and began preparing a light breakfast of oatmeal and fruit. "Alright, you two, eat up. We've got a long day ahead of us. We're going to try to find Team Flare and see what we can do about their little illegal mining operation."

 **Quest: First Encounter of the Rocky Kind**

 **Details: Team Flare is looking for fossils in Glittering Cave. You have no idea whether they're doing it legally or not, but you're going to stop them anyway.**

 **Objectives**

 **\- Locate Team Flare.**

 **\- Stop them by any means necessary.**

 **Bonus Objectives**

 **\- Save the scientists.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- 600 EXP.**

 **\- Team Flare's current fossil collection.**

 **\- TM Shadow Claw.**

 **Bonus Reward**

 **\- Gratitude and emotional leverage.**

 **Failure**

 **\- Pain and death.**

'What do you mean I don't know? Team Flare grunts were threatening the fossil lab scientists,' he asked.

" **But will they here?"**

'Well… I don't know…'

" **Exactly,"** came Arceus' smug voice.

'I'm willing to bet though… anyone who wouldn't mind unleashing a Legendary's power onto a continent isn't the sort who'd get too hung up over the legality of something.'

" **But you don't know for certain. You shouldn't assume that your memory of the game is exactly like this reality. I would have thought young Maya beat that lesson into you,"** Dialga replied.

The aura guardian rolled his eyes. Only the dragon god of time could call an ancient kangaskhan "young."'Fair point,' Aaron grumbled. In the midst of their conversation, none of them noticed a tendril of darkness snatch a berry from Aaron's bowl.

Fable leapt onto his lap, breaking the flow of conversation. "So what's the plan?"

Aaron smirked. "Skills," he called. A blue panel appeared before him. The Kangaskhanite wasn't the only thing he got out of Maya's ass kicking session. He selected his newest and only close combat skill.

 **Comet Punch: Level 1 (0%)**

 **Passive: Improves Aura Affinity by 5%.**

 **Active: Strikes two times for 10 damage each.**

 **Cost: 10 MP**

Seeing this, Aaron resigned himself to hours upon hours of grueling grinding. Sure, that 10 damage would be more impressive once he could chain Comet Punch, and would likely improve with level, but for now, most of the damage was coming from his own physical strength, not the skill itself. 'I wonder what would happen if I held a knife while using this?' he thought.

Seeing no reason to hold back now, he moved to a nearby stalagmite. Rearing his fist back, he shouted, "Comet Punch!" and released two, rapid jabs. The stone figure shattered with a loud crack, but pain flooded his now bloody knuckles.

 **\- 15 HP!**

 **\- 15 HP!**

"Owowowowow!" Aaron cradled his hands.

"Hahahahaha, you're an idiot, boss." Aaron shot his partner a wicked glare but it did little to stop the cackling bunny.

He decided to be grateful that Isis couldn't see and pretended the little songbird's chortling was from an entirely different reason. He practiced the move a few more times, making sure he could chanel aura while wielding his combat knife in one hand. The knife wasn't reinforced by aura or anything, but the speed and strength of the thrusts were improved. He could now stab someone faster than most could even see the blade. 'The scary thing is, I still don't think I could so much as give Maya a papercut,' he thought to himself.

When the finally packed up and got moving, they ran into several more of the cave's natural denizens. The most memorable was a mother marowak. She was far more aggressive than any of the other residents of the cave thus far, but once Aaron showed that he was no threat, they had a nice conversation about ground type aura. She didn't have an academic's understanding of aura, but she didn't need to; she was a pokemon. As such, she could connect to Fable on a more instinctual level and gave him some advice on how to manipulate the earth. They thanked her and wandered further into the cave.

Their first clue that Team Flare was around was the skittering of agitated woobats. The bats wouldn't attack unless exposed to excessive light or noise, but just the fact that they were up and about made him suspicious. Normally, they would be asleep at around this time, preparing themselves for their evening trek into the woods for food. As they moved closer, they could hear the confrontation more clearly.

"Give us the fossils and no one gets hurt," said one Team Flare grunt. His voice sounded surprisingly smooth and relaxed, as though this was an everyday occurance. Perhaps it was.

"You can't! These fossils will become new pokemon!" a much younger voice cried. This one sounded male, though only slightly out of the grasp of puberty.

A second grunt chuckled menacingly. From her voice, she was a woman, though that alone wasn't very telling. In a world of superpowered monsters, gender meant absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. "Yes, we know. That's the point. They will be the backbone of Team Flare's genetics research. And when the time comes, we will create a new utopia with their power."

'Keep talking, you generic two-bit EXP fodder,' Aaron sighed. 'What is it about grunts and flapping their mouths? Granted, I already knew what they wanted, but still… Exposition by stupid grunt is a trope for a reason I guess...'

" **The lower down the food chain you are, the more you want to express your dominance over another. It gives you the fleeting illusion of self-worth,"** the chaos dragon said. " **Pokemon do this. Humans do this. The truly strong feel little need to dominate others, for power is a fact of our very existence."**

'True enough. It does get rather old though.'

Aaron crept closer. Two scientists were surrounded by four Team Flare grunts, blinding orange suits, idiotic hair styles and all. Two of the grunts, one male and one female, held pistols at the scientists. One of the scientists, an elderly man who looked remarkably calm given the situation, took a half step behind his colleague. His colleague was young. He looked to be about Aaron's age. 'Intern or some sort,' Aaron thought. At first, he thought the elder scientist was cowardly, but something about that cool, collected demeanor made him think otherwise. Sure enough, he tried to reach discreetly for his pokeball with the hand that was hidden behind his intern. Unfortunately, the third grunt, another young man about his own age, noticed and called out a scrafty before the scientist could summon any aid of his own. The scrafty lunged forward with its lizard-like jaw unhinged and clamped down on the older man, wrestling him to the ground in a flurry of blood and teeth.

"Enough!" barked the leader, a second woman. Aaron guessed her age to be slightly above thirty, making her the most likely to be a veteran trainer. The rest were observably younger. As with most gangs, it seemed Flare recruited grunts by misleading idealistic youths. "Take their pokeballs first, you idiots. Then you can threaten them."

He reached into his inventory and pulled out the mask he wore in Shabboneau Castle. It covered half the face, leaving his jaw open to view. It was modeled after a mightyena and had the wolf ears and black mane to match. It was time for Lupin to make a second appearance. Looking over the grunts, he made his plan of attack. 'She said threaten, not kill. They likely don't want to turn this into a murder investigation if they can help it. That means I should have some time… Even so, the older guy might bleed out so I can't risk taking too long.' Aaron quietly tapped Fable's shoulder and pointed to the floor. "Set Spikes here. The path here is narrow so we should be able to use this as a bottleneck. Focus on density and size over quantity this time."

Silently, Fable nodded and got to work. 'The internationally accepted definition of terrorism is a politically motivated attack which targets the public conscience using asymmetric means,' he recited. 'I didn't expect that to be useful, but needs must.' "Isis, you're going to go for a fear tactic." He pulled out his gun, ensuring his suppressor was screwed on correctly. "I'm going to take the first shot. Hopefully, if I kill one, it'll demoralize the others. If nothing else, it'll keep that one's pokemon from joining the fight. Then, as soon as I take the shot, we're going to flood the cave with Haze. You'll Teleport around the cave. Stick to the cracks and begin singing."

"I don't know Sing, master…"

"I know, I'm not asking you to put them to sleep. I'm just asking you to start chirping. Humans are naturally afraid of the unknown and unexpected." Seeing her nod, Aaron picked up a pebble from the ground and placed a Teleport marker on it. He handed it to Fable and told him to place it across the Spiked corridor. Then, each of them hid.

By the time the preparations were finished, the scientists were tied up and their pokemon were taken away. The elder scientist's wound was sloppily bandaged, but Aaron could see that the bleeding hadn't completely stopped. Two of the grunts were pilfering their bags while a third stood guard with his scrafty. The leader was admiring her handiwork. Aaron searched for a way to save them without killing anyone, but couldn't find an answer. The leader needed to be taken out first, but any injuries would only convince her to bring out her strongest pokemon first. With a deep breath, he resigned himself. "Arceus guide me," he whispered.

Slowly, he drew a bead and fired, feeling the familiar recoil of his pistol. In the narrow cave, the sound of the gunshot rang like an entire drumline, suppressor be damned. He watched with detached satisfaction as her head rocked to the side, a slight sprinkle of blood the only sign of the bullet's passage.

"Boss!" the three grunts cried in shock and fear. As she crumpled to the floor, the scrafty immediately snapped alert. It began to sniff the air, flicking its tongue out to try to locate the assailant.

'Is it supposed to be this easy to kill someone?' he thought. Around him, the shadows cast by the crystals wavered and lengthened as though in approval. He offered Isis a single tap of her crest and the two cast the thickest Haze they could manage. Their joint efforts killed what limited lighting was available.

Already, Isis had begun to hum out a haunting tune, its echoes weaving a disorienting ambiance. The three remaining grunts added a houndoom and golbat to the mix, but couldn't bring out anything else for fear of crowding themselves without room for movement. Each felt a shiver crawl up their spine, not all of it due to the chill of the ice type move. The two-toned melody seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere as Isis Teleported from one end of the cave to the next without breaking stride.

"Shit, who's there?" one of the male grunts shouted out. He commanded the houndoom.

The female grunt was the first to gather her wits. "Golbat, Supersonic! Find whoever is here!"

Then, the scrafty or houndoom must have said something, because the scrafty and his trainer began to walk their way. Aaron whispered for Fable to remain in position and thanked Arceus for the rabbit's naturally impressive hearing. Despite the ache from the Supersonic, Fable pressed himself into the shadows without a sound. When the scrafty and its trainer got to the edge of the Spiked corridor, Aaron struck.

He Teleported to the other side, right behind them, with a dull flash. "Shit, someone's behind you!" golbat's trainer screamed out a warning, but it was too late. Aaron shot the scrafty and punched the trainer with enough force to send him flying into the Spikes. A dull squelch and a pained scream marked his second kill. His bullet found the scrafty's shoulder, damaging, but nowhere near fatal.

Despite the pain of being shot and the death of its trainer, the scrafty regained its bearings and launched forward with a vicious Headbutt. Aaron tried to meet it with his combat knife, but the pokemon's notoriously hard skull parried it with only a skin deep scratch. The Headbutt found his chest and sent him flying into the wall, breath taken from his lungs.

 **\- 91 HP!**

The scrafty was about to follow up with another Headbutt, but a white blur launched itself into the pokemon's side and into the Spikes. Aaron shook off the dizziness and noticed with grim satisfaction that its leg was injured. He drew his pistol for the killing shot, but had to duck out of the way as the golbat engaged.

"Golbat, Poison Fang the trainer!" the grunt screamed. He tried to defend himself and managed to lodge his combat knife into its mouth. Fable would have to watch himself for a while. He grimaced as each wild wingbeat struck him like a blunt instrument.

 **\- 16 HP!**

 **\- 16 HP!**

 **\- 16 HP!**

Aaron managed to bring his other hand up and stuck the business end of his pistol into the golbat's mouth. Three shots rang throughout the cave and the golbat fell dead.

"Isis to me!" he cried out and felt the familiar weight of the bird settle on his shoulder. Now that there was no chance of friendly fire, the houndoom and two remaining grunts opened fire, forcing Aaron to dive out of the reach of the flame and behind another quartz formation. It was only through luck and the lingering Haze that he avoided taking any more hits. "Flank behind them with Teleport and shoot a grunt with Night Shade," he whispered rapidly. He felt Isis nod and her weight lifted from his shoulder.

"Fable, you there?" he whispered a little louder, hoping the bunny wasn't in too much trouble. A pale light pierced the Haze and a with a dull thump, Fable's body shot towards him. Aaron caught him with some difficulty.

"Fuck that hurts," he groaned. Although he had no obvious breaks, Fable's whole body was one big bruise, the result of tangling with a fully evolved fighting type in close quarters. Aaron dropped a handful of sitrus berries on the ground.

"Eat and recover as quickly as you can. I'm going to see what I can do about the scrafty." Seeing his partner's weak nod, Aaron pulled his combat knife. 'Agility!' he thought as he broke cover. With Agility's current level, his DEX was sitting at an impressive 148, at a cost of 45 MP per minute. 'Dumping into INT was definitely the best option,' he thought as he spied the scrafty step into a defensive stance, both arms glowing white. 'Probably Brick Break.'

The scrafty ran forward and Aaron marveled at its relative slowness. He estimated that the scrafty was still several times faster than a regular human, but he was hardly normal anymore. He dodged the first two chops with ease before stabbing forward with his combat knife. He got to see the scrafty's eyes widen in shock. No human had ever been a challenge before. Its surprise didn't stop it from raising its baggy skirt over its chest, taking the knife with its leathery hide. Aaron jumped back and the two eyed each other with grudging respect.

It was Aaron that broke the stalemate first. "Agility, second iteration," he whispered to himself. He sped up and before the reptilian fighting type could react, launched a Comet Punch aimed at its heart. Again, the leather shield rose up, but this time, it wasn't fast enough. A second Comet Punch, then a third. A string of knife thrusts found the scrafty's torso,causing streams of blood to flow where its skirt armor wasn't fast enough. Finally catching its bearings, the scrafty met the blade directly with a Headbutt. The knife chipped, but the broken blade tip lodged itself into the skull, not quite penetrating the thick bone, but still causing great pain from the focused impact. It grunted in pain, but gave no other outward indication as to its suffering.

He saw the Haze begin to clear and regretted not telling Isis to continue renewing it. With her on the other side of the cave, he couldn't use Haze without drawing undue attention to himself. So, he decided to make use of the increased visibility. Aaron jumped up into the air with Agility, brushing the ceiling and clinging to a stalactite. Before his fingers slipped from the wet surface, he shot one bullet straight down, aiming for the scrafty's feet.

The pokemon groaned in pain, a sound that was as much a hiss as it was a roar. Taking that moment of distraction, Aaron launched himself from the ceiling with Agility still active, crashing down onto the scrafty's shoulder with his combat knife. The dive, combined with his not insignificant weight, Agility, and gravity, sent even the blunt knife deep into the scrafty's shoulder, carving straight through its collar bone and several ribs into its heart. Aaron winced at the spray of blood and held back his churning stomach.

Aaron used the dust as cover by crouching towards the crevice he had left Fable in. "Holy shit, boss. I was about to join in," his partner quipped as he ducked behind the stone. "Wonder how Isis is doing."

The duo listened to the roar and howl of the houndoom. The two remaining grunts seemed reluctant to approach their position and were waiting for Isis to run out of steam. "Sounds like she could use some help."

"Yeah… it probably wasn't a good idea to pit her against a houndoom, boss."

"She's doing a fantastic job of stalling, but you're right. Let's fix that. How do you feel?"

"Not great, but I can work with this," he said, flexing his ears.

"Good, here's what we'll do…"

X

When her master told her to Teleport to the other side of the cave, she got the gist of his plan. She would be responsible for providing a distraction while her master and Fable finished off the fighting type. She began to hum a tune her mother sang when she was but a hatchling, finding a weird sort of comfort in the familiar music. The natural echoes seemed to unnerve her opponents. Truth be told, the echoes rang out in a dissonant harmony, unerving even her. The houndoom however only took a few moments to locate her position.

She fired a Night Shade at the remaining male grunt, his larger frame presenting an easier target. He went down with a horrified scream. Night Shade was an interesting technique. According to numerous accounts from victims, it did not directly kill the opponent, or even cause lasting harm. Instead, it used ghost type aura to impose a vision of the victim's own subconscious fear. In other words, it was an illusion. It was so popular among ghost types precisely because it was easy to use and many ghost types could consume emotions for nourishment. She didn't know what his greatest fear was, but she felt no pity for the man who had unknowingly become her master's enemy.

Isis had to duck back into the shadows to avoid the houndoom's fire. She then used Teleport once more, appearing to the woman's right. Random shots littered the cavern walls and she took the opportunity to shoot the man with a second Night Shade.

His horrified screams made her uncomfortable, but she did get what she was aiming for. In his panic, he lost command of the houndoom. Admittedly, the fire hound was doing fine on its own, but the breakdown in communication was welcome nonetheless. The weight of the unsettling melody, the uncomfortable chill of Haze, and two visions form Night Shade finally broke him. He began firing randomly, narrowly hitting his own pokemon and shooting his only remaining human ally in the arm. His thrashing grew wilder until he tripped and his head struck a jagged stone.

"AHHH!" she screamed as she clutched her bleeding arm. Although it was a shallow wound, the young woman was far from an experienced combatant, closer to a mugger than a soldier, and fell to the floor, gun forgotten.

'And then there was one,' Isis thought to herself.

However, no matter how many Night Shades struck the houndoom, they did little damage. The flame hound was able to shrug off the visions using its darkness, preventing them from causing any significant mental harm. On the other hand, Isis was able to avoid its flames with laughable ease. Things got more difficult with time however as her stamina ran out. Each Teleport was a bit shorter than the last. Each Night Shade took a little bit longer to form. The houndoom sensed his quarry's exhaustion and faded into the shadows in a Feint Attack.

An inky pool of black materialized behind her from the shadow of a nearby stalagmite. Just before the houndoom's jaws closed on her, she felt an urgent tug to the side, the invisible force just enough to save her from its flame-coated teeth. An instant later, a gunshot rang through the cave, chipping the beast's curling horns. Isis used Teleport one final time, landing just beside her master.

The houndoom grew enraged and began spewing gouts of fire everywhere. Soon, thick black smoke filled the cave and oxygen grew sparse. "Isis, return," her master commanded.

Aaron surveyed the battlefield. The two scientists were choking on smoke, but alive and still tied up. He could see the final two grunts coughing in a similar position. The woman had crawled to one wall and curled up into a fetal position, desperate to escape the heat. His mask did help with the smoke, but he would have to deal with the houndoom soon before everyone asphyxiated to death.

'371 HP, huh… should be enough…' he told himself. He threw himself forward with another Agility empowered jump, closing in on the houndoom and just managing to graze its side with his knife.

Although outraged, the beast's instincts saved it. It jumped to the side and out of the way of the blade. What would have lodged into its neck only just scratched its flank. It was given no more room to breathe fire. Aaron rushed forward, knife slashing in a wide arc designed to herd the thing towards the center of the room. Then, when it was just beneath the largest stalactite, the rock formation seemingly dropped onto the beast with far more speed than it had a right to, spearing through its torso and killing it instantly.

Fable hopped down from the cave ceiling and into his arms. The rabbit had used the stalagmites as jumping platforms and with an Agility empowered Quick Attack, struck the stalactite to break it off into the houndoom.

"Mind if I drop in?" Fable quipped.

"No… you've spent too much time with her," he whispered, making sure to avoid dropping any names while the scientists were still awake.

"She's funny."

"No, she _thinks_ she's funny. She's a nuisance."

"Aww, you like her. Admit it, she's grown on you."

Aaron refused to dignify that with a response. Instead, he chose to occupy himself with the quest completion notice.

 **Quest Complete: First Encounter of the Rocky Kind**

 **Details: Team Flare is looking for fossils in Glittering Cave. You have no idea whether they're doing it legally or not, but you're going to stop them anyway.**

 **Objectives**

 **\- Locate Team Flare.**

 **\- Stop them by any means necessary.**

 **Bonus Objectives**

 **\- Save the scientists.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- 600 EXP.**

 **\- Team Flare's current fossil collection.**

 **\- TM Shadow Claw.**

 **Bonus Reward**

 **\- Gratitude and emotional leverage.**

 **Vigorous activity has earned you 6 VIT, 3 STR, and 6 DEX! Intelligent use of tactics has earned you 2 INT and 3 WIS!**

 **You have earned 100 points in DEX! You have gained the perk Fast and Furious!**

 **Teleport has leveled up! Teleport has leveled up!**

 **Agility has leveled up! Agility has leveled up!**

 **Haze has leveled up!**

 **Comet Punch has leveled up! Comet Punch has leveled up! Comet Punch has leveled up! Comet Punch has leveled up!**

 **Self Defense has leveled up!**

 **Marksmanship has leveled up!**

 **For your part in defeating the scrafty, you have gained 493 EXP! For defeating the golbat, you have gained 988 EXP! For your part in defeating the houndoom, you have gained 327 EXP!**

 **You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You are now level 19!**

 **You have gained 4 REP with Fable and Isis! You have gained 2 REP with the fossil lab! You have gained 1 REP with Arceus, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina! You have lost 20 REP with Team Flare!**

Aaron dismissed the quest completion notice with a wave and approached the now semi-coherent woman. 'Hmm… how do i want to play this… Do i go for the hero of justice route or mercenary route?' He stood there, deep in thought.

To her, he appeared as a monster. His mask looked hungry in the dim light, its snarling visage and wicked teeth driving her into a minor panic attack. The oxygen deficiency and terror of combat had worn away at her. He made no threatening movements, but the woman saw a looming hunter who had cornered his prey. "B-Back away!" she muttered. She tried to keep the hysteria from her voice, with little success.

"I should kill you," Aaron growled. He tried to moderate his voice into something a little more… demonic, but couldn't manage it. Then again, he didn't really need to; he just needed to be sure she couldn't associate his voice as Lupin with his voice as Aaron. "You've been a very naughty girl. And really, even if you weren't planning on cold blooded murder here, you're a loose end… You have one minute to convince me to leave you alive. Sell me."

"I-I'm n-not… I-I wa-wasn't going to k-kill them," she stammered. "W-We were just after the fossils."

"I'm sure," he sneered. Aaron looked at the terrified faces of the scientists, then at the Team Flare grunt. The weight of all he had done pressed down on him all at once. The grip on his broken knife felt clammy. With a flourish, it disappeared, seemingly into a sheathe behind him. 'I'm a killer,' he realized. 'Even if it was to protect someone else, I'm a killer. This… It's one thing to kill in battle, but another thing to kill someone who's already surrendered. _Jus in Bello_ , Justice in War.' He sighed, relieved at the intellectual reprieve. He would have to think more on this later, but for now, there was plenty to distract him. "Go," he growled, "and tell your superiors to stay out of my way."

The woman didn't need to be told twice. She scrambled out of the cave as quickly as she could manage, not even taking a second glance at the corpse of her golbat. Aaron sighed and turned to the two scientists. "Now, let's get this straight. It doesn't matter what you thought of my behavior or how I handled them. The truth is that you owe me your lives." Aaron walked over to the bag of fossils. "You also have no control over what I do with the fossils."

"T-They're ours!" the younger scientist cried.

"Nope, they're not. You weren't strong enough to defend them, so lost ownership. I stole them back," he said as he cut the scientists free.

The older scientist was the first to catch on. "And what can we do to buy the fossils from you?" he asked cautiously.

"Well… since you're so polite about it," he teased, playing up the roguish mercenary persona, "Truth is, I didn't come here for the fossils, despite what I let the grunt think. I'm just here for a project of mine. I'll return one fossil for every thirty grams of luminous moss you can find for me. You have the rest of the night since I plan to go back in the morning. Also… I want something from the lab."

"The amaura is off limits!"

Aaron quirked an eyebrow at the young man. They couldn't see, but even his mentor seemed frustrated with him. "Why thank you for telling me you've managed to revive another one of those rare fossil pokemon," he said drily. "But again, no. Just make me two promises and we'll call your life debt good. One promise for each of your lives." The two men looked at each other and nodded. "First, you'll give the fossil pokemon away to trainers who show genuine care and interest in the pokemon. If the amaura finds a trainer it likes, you won't stop it from leaving. If another trainer shows up with a fossil of his own, you'll raise it for him after whatever test you want to pose."

"That's… surprisingly reasonable of you…"

"Lupin," he said with a cheer he didn't feel.

"Lupin… an appropriate name, I suppose. And the second?"

Aaron reached into his pocket and brought out a pink gem, the very same stolen from Shabboneau Castle. The younger one looked baffled, but the older recognized it instantly. "Yes, this is a mega stone. Or at least, I think it is. If you look through the Camphrier news, you'll find that I stole it from Viscount Shabboneau's castle. That bumbling idiot didn't even know it was a mega stone."

The older scientist seemed to sag in on himself. "Of course… you're after the mega stone we unearthed, aren't you?"

"Yup, you have two options. One, you can give it to me and save me the trouble of stealing it. Or two, you can make the same promise as with the amaura. Promise to give it to a trainer who shows genuine interest in the stone."

"Why? You are a professional. You wouldn't be foolish enough to walk in with a civilian persona to try to get the stone. What do you get by giving it to another?"

'Actually… that's exactly what I wanted to do… Oh well…' Channeling a bit of Colress he threw his head back and laughed dramatically. "Tell me, mister scientist. What makes one strong?" he asked. "Is it brute force? Good genes? The number of techniques one has mastered? Or perhaps strategy and tactics? Even charisma and luck can be considered integral aspects of becoming powerful. All of these are important and fairly self explanatory, but mega stones, now they're mysterious. They represent massive boosts to a pokemon's fighting potential, but can only be activated by the strength of bonds. Bonds? Seriously? Life isn't some sort of children's adventure novel where the power of friendship conquers all… or is it? I want to see the extent of a trainer's capacity for growth, mister scientist. Whether that trainer uses this power to become champion, a hero, or even start a genocide, I. Don't. Care. Now, do we have a deal or not?"

"And if we refuse?" his assistant bit out defiantly.

He barked out a laugh that lacked any humor. "You should keep your orderly in line, doctor." He turned to the student. "What else would I do, you idiot? I'd just take it by force and find someone who will use the stone. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to leave." Aaron returned Fable, ignoring the bunny's protest. "My friend and I are quite tired, you see. You can leave the bundle of luminous moss at the cave entrance. I'll drop the fossils back at the lab."

"We don't know if we can trust you."

"I don't know if I can trust you either. Isn't this fun?"

And with that, Lupin vanished in a blur of speed, leaving the two scientists and a single flickering shadow to deal with his fetch quest.

 **Omake: The Professor's Lessons: Day 7: Aura and Science**

Aaron stepped into the professor's sitting room. Once again, their little lesson would be held here. Apparently, even the professor grew bored of sitting in his office all day. Augustine and Carol were already sitting at the table with three cups of tea set out neatly before them.

"Hello, Aaron. How was your day?" Carol smiled and motioned for him to take a seat.

"Good, but ask me that in the evening. It's only 9am." He picked up a biscuit and dipped it into the tea, allowing the mildly bitter liquid to soften the sweet cookie.

"Carol wanted to stick around for your final lesson because it concerns aura," Augustine answered his unspoken question. "Her Ph.D. dissertation is on the significance of empathy among high tier trainers, you see, and aura plays a big part of that. First, let me ask you: What is aura, Aaron? You must have thought about it to some degree for you to pick this as your lesson of choice."

"Aura… is the light of the soul," Aaron said dutifully. It wasn't really anything he knew for certain, merely the definition used in similar franchises like RWBY. The two scientists visibly cringed. "Am I wrong?"

"... Yes and no…"

Carol explained, "You see, you are correct in that aura stems from the soul, or at least what we _think_ is the soul. From interviews with cooperative ghost types, that statement seems to be true to a degree… But, we scholars don't really like that answer because the soul can't be directly measured. We can derive secondary metrics by interviewing pokemon that can directly interact with the soul, namely ghost, psychic, and fairy types, but even then, like the HDSC, it's fuzzy at best. We've found that what many of these pokemon interact with is not in fact the soul, but emotions. Besides, calling something the 'light of the soul' sounds a bit too metaphysical for our tastes. Until a Legend like Giratina verifies the existence of the soul, we're going to try to stay away from that answer."

Aaron had to stop himself from snorting in laughter. 'It's not like my soul got dragged to a whole new reality or anything,' he thought. 'It makes sense though. From a scientific point of view, this must drive them crazy.' "So… what is the academic definition of aura then?"

"In academic circles, aura is defined as the power of emotion. More specifically, it is measured by the maximum distance from which a lucario can sense a certain emotion. About one hundred thirty years ago, a scientist used his lucario to try and quantify aura. One unit of aura would be the amount released by the average individual's emotional state such that the lucario can sense it from ten feet away. That lucario's sensory abilities became the baseline metric for measures of aura and the table is still used today. Does that make sense?"

"... No, but let's pretend it does. Basically, scientists didn't like the idea of the soul and decided to cut it out of the definition altogether." He ignored Giratina's derisive laughter in the background. "Instead, you decided that aura can be measured based on the strength of emotions. Fine, but doesn't every pokemon use aura to some degree?"

"Now you're getting a bit deeper into the realm of philosophy and religion. Many in Sinnoh believe that aura is not just emotion and reject this definition. They argue that Arceus, if he exists, created the universe using aura and that aura is therefore within all things."

"There's no way to prove that?"

"There is, and they're right… sort of… Pokemon are so fascinating precisely because they defy scientific explanation. Pikachu have electricity producing glands in their cheeks, but no amount of biological amplifiers should allow a pikachu to char-broil a blastoise, something Kanto's former champion Red's pikachu was known for doing. It should be biologically impossible for a creature that size to generate that much ampere and voltage and yet, that pikachu is considered a demigod for a reason."

"So… you're saying that many pokemon have biological foundations for their techniques, but aura, the power of emotion and empathy, boosts those natural abilities beyond biological limitations?"

"Yes, and the problem with this is that it supports both the scientists and philosophers. On one hand, scientists can look at this and claim that this emotional boost can be measured. On the other hand, there are moves that draw power directly from the environment, like Earth Power. Such techniques don't really have a biological rationale and support the notion that all things, even the earth, have aura, if of a more passive sort. In the end, it is up to individual interpretation until either science reaches a breakthrough or Arceus weighs in decisively."

'Any reason why you went ahead and created such a confusing world?' Aaron asked Arceus.

" **Because it's fun,"** Giratina laughed, " **You have to admit, not knowing makes life more interesting."**

" **That's her take on father's will…"** Palkia's voice rippled. " **I am of the opinion that father wanted to allow individual creations to find their own paths in life. Whatever they make of the world, it would be due to their insight and discovery, not what is imposed upon them."**

'Makes sense… you guys are really big on the whole free will thing.'

"So, what does this mean for trainers?" Aaron asked. "I mean, will my aura, whatever it actually is, influence my pokemons' growth?"

"I'll let Carol take this. It's her dissertation after all." he said with a smile.

His student took another draught of her tea, setting it down with a small clink. "As a matter of fact, yes. The hypothesis of my thesis is that empathy is only one aspect of a pokemon's growth. There is a popular theory that states that a trainer shares his or her aura with their pokemon, accelerating their growth and augmenting their strength. This explains why trained pokemon held by high tier trainers tend to surpass biological limits. It's thought that a bond forms between the trainer and pokemon, a sort of conduit that can be strengthened with empathy. However, plenty of trainers love their pokemon. Even many people with regular holder licenses love their pokemon. Simple empathy or emotional investment can't account for all of this. It is my hypothesis that every individual trainer has their own reserve of aura, that the extant research is wrong. Aura is not simply the power of emotion, but the power of life itself."

"Yes, her idea is really quite interesting. She wants to blend the scientific and philosophical notions of aura into one."

Carol nodded, visibly animated by her research. "And in some ways, we can. Vitality can be measured after all. Physical and emotional health can be quantified. I think that the better off a trainer is, the more aura they have to give to their pokemon. So, to simplify, yes, your pokemon will be influenced by your own growth as a person, physically and emotionally."

Aaron let that digest for a minute. It made sense that there were conflicting theories about aura, but he had no idea that said theories would be so… rudimentary. Carol's dissertation boiled down to an attempt to measure aura under the premise that aura was some sort of life force. She wasn't wrong per se, but the definition was limiting in scope if not intent. "I'm not sure how that'll go for you if you ignore the possibility of a soul, but good luck," he said honestly.

Augustine looked somewhat intrigued. "Say, do you believe in the existence of the soul, Aaron?"

"Yes," he replied, not a trace of doubt in his voice. "While I don't put much stock in religion and rituals, I do believe that the soul exists. I guess I fall more along the philosophical side of this debate. If I ever find out the truth, I'll let you know, professor."

" **No you won't,"** Giratina snorted.

'No,' he agreed easily, 'but it's easier if I pretend I'm clueless.'

 **Author's Note**

 **Kangaskhan… yep, that happened. If you were expecting it to be as simple as the Mawilite, then sorry to break it to you, but that'd be a pretty boring story. I know, it's kind of cliche to have the "power of friendship," or a variant thereof, be the deciding factor in his first real trial, but it fit too well for the conclusion to be anything else.**

 **Yes, Aaron figured out the purpose of the trial quite quickly. He can connect the dots after all. You might argue that a trial about teamwork or friendship loses its meaning when the examinee is already aware of its purpose. That's true, and from one perspective, Maya failed to have that shocking reveal to get him to put more value in his pokemon. But from a second perspective, you could argue that Arceus succeeded. Ask yourselves then: Did Aaron learn to value his pokemon? Was the conversation following his test relevant? And finally, did his pokemon's unwillingness to leave him matter to him at all?**

 **Why Comet Punch? In gen 1, Comet Punch was the signature move of kangaskhan. No one else could learn it. Even today, all kangaskhan learn the move at level one. It's my small nod to the gen-wunners reading this.**

 **Team Flare's first encounter… What's there to say? I hope I provided something of a juxtaposition with his battle against Maya (if it could be called that). Compared to normal humans, Aaron is already overpowered and the surprise that he even has powers to speak of is a massive advantage. Eventually, Team Flare will wise up, but for now… Anyway, this is a big part of why I went so in depth into Aaron's background as a security policy student in the first chapter. Normally, it would make no sense for some kid in our world to suddenly have a grasp of tactics or strategy. Hopefully, the scene was somewhat interesting. Now ask yourselves: What did Team Flare find out about Lupin?**

 **For anyone who's never played X or Y, or has simply forgotten, you can find Shadow Claw's TM in the Glittering Cave. I decided to fold that into the story without going on some long, irritating side quest for the TM.**

 **Here's the brief EXP breakdown. I played this out as though the scrafty and golbat were level 27 and the houndoom was at level 30. The golbat yielded the most EXP for Aaron because he killed it alone. Houndoom yielded the least EXP because all three of them played a part in killing it.**

 **I would love to hear your thoughts on Aaron's psychology. If it wasn't clear, Aaron is not at all comfortable with killing once the deed is done and the adrenaline is gone. He is cold, calculating, and tactical, but not a trained killer. Over and over again, he'll fall back on his academic training for support. In this case, there is a very widely accepted philosophy called Just War Theory. It's actually the very same set of principles that things like the UN charter, the Tallinn Manual, and Geneva Convention are based off of. Among those tenets, the killing of noncombatants is most definitely outlawed and we can see that he fell back on that for mental stability.**

 **As always, constructive feedback is appreciated. If you feel so inclined, you can support me on pat reon dot com slash sorre.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Preface**

 **Congratulations to Zyxis Ouroboros ReArchtypist for guessing the third pokemon correctly. Weirdly enough, I've been getting a ton of requests for vulpix/ninetales-a. While I love the species, it probably won't feature in the story. If it does, it'll be much, much later. The Alolan variants are supposed to have adapted independently of the continental regions and I'm not sure I can justify injecting a foreign species that explicitly doesn't live anywhere near Kalos into the story. I could go for the typical "abused vulpix is thrown away" story, but that's pretty boring. I did insert a trainer who had one of the kommo-o line during the Connecting Cave segment, but it'd be hard to explain why someone would go out of their way to get a rare subtype of pokemon but be willing to throw it away.**

 **On a side note, if one does enter the story, it'll be female (as most of its species are), and extremely depressed. She'll basically be Juvia Lockser from Fairy Tail since she's never seen the sun thanks to Snow Warning. Except, I think you know me well enough to know that I don't put much stock into over-sexualized comic relief. So she'd just be a super depressed vulpix and you'll all hate me.**

 **Chapter 10: Noticed**

After leaving the two scientists behind, Aaron made for the entrance as quickly as he could. Now that he had no concern for exploration or a giant kangaskhan to slap him around, he made it out of the cave in record time and set up camp near the edge of the woods, a short ways away from the ranger station. He could have found a bed at the station, that was partly why they existed, but he didn't think he could explain away his exhaustion with a few stories about the cave. That was just as well, he really didn't want to see anyone right now. That night, he dreamed…

 _The golbat kept coming. No matter how many shots he fired into its skull, no matter how many times he slashed into the beast's face, no matter where he aimed or what he did, the bat just kept coming. He grimaced as he felt those massive fangs sink into his flesh. Bones crunched. He kicked it away, the fluttering of wings drowning out his screams. Even when it went down, he was denied the taste of victory. Every beat of his heart sent a pulse of venom through his body..._

 _Fable's pained scream drew his attention. The nameless Flare grunt had managed to land a single bullet. Fable stumbled. One bullet turned to two. Two to three. The scrafty caught up and only a wet crunch marked his passing..._

 _Isis tried, but she could not outrun the houndoom forever. The mist of Haze ran out. The houndoom was stronger than it first appeared. A dark pulse almost clipped her wing. The houndoom gave up and released dark aura indiscriminately, filling the cave and keeping her from using Teleport, sealing the one technique that kept her alive…_

"NO!" Aaron shouted as he bolted up from his sleeping bag, heart pounding and drenched in cold sweat. Visions of their deaths repeated through his mind seemingly without end.

He flinched as he felt a furry appendage grab his arm. "Boss? You good?" his partner asked, his usual sarcasm and sass replaced with concern. Beside him, he could see Isis' blank eyes staring at him with worry.

"I-It was just a dream," he muttered, as much to reassure himself as his friends. "Nothing went wrong. We won…"

"Master… if you need to talk, we could listen."

"Thanks, Isis," he said, reaching out to muss her crest half-heartedly. "It was nothing. Sorry for disturbing you guys."

After reassuring his pokemon, he tried to go back to sleep, but could not. He changed his clammy shirt for a dry one and made himself comfortable, but sleep eluded him. 'Arceus… you there?'

" **I am, Aaron."**

'Do you remember when I first started this journey?'

" **It wasn't too long ago,"** he said with a chuckle.

'The… the Lewis family orchard… Those guys gave me my first real quest… the zubats excluded…'

" **What about them?"**

Aaron shuffled and turned his pillow. 'Clyde's pangoro killed the venomoth. It was just looking for food.'

" **Yes, I remember. You spent the time asking me about my creations."**

'I also asked you why I didn't receive Gamer's Mind.'

" **You did. You came to a conclusion that satisfied you if I recall."**

'I…'

" **You are upset and frustrated, more at yourself than anyone else."** Giratina cut in. " **You thought that the greater emotional freedom granted by the lack of Gamer's Mind would help you grow. You know that empathy is vital for the creation of bonds between you and your pokemon. You are frustrated because you view yourself as weak because you feel you've suffered for nothing."**

'Shut up, Giratina,' he snarled.

" **Perhaps throwing his insecurities in his face was unwise, sister,"** Dialga rumbled.

" **Maybe, but he needs this."** Suddenly, Aaron felt his body go numb, as though he were dropped into the Arctic Ocean. He tried to take a breath, but his body would not obey. " **Listen well, Aaron Phantomweiss. If you want to sit here bitching and moaning just because you killed a few people, I will end our game here and take your soul now,"** she hissed.

He could feel her icy claws rake across him on a metaphysical level. His body was fine, there was nothing wrong with it, but a chill that spread from his very soul filled him. 'W-What the hell, Giratina?' He tried to fight off her influence, but it was akin to a fish trying to swim up the Niagara.

After a moment of struggling that seemed like days, he felt the icy pressure lift. " **Enough, sister,"** Palkia's deep voice flooded over him, " **You have done enough."**

Giratina scoffed but relented. " **Death is a part of life, brat. Get over it."**

'Easy for you to say,' he bit out bitterly, 'You're the goddess of death. It's a part of you.'

" **To an ant, every mountain must look the same, huh?"** she laughed mockingly. " **I am not Death, that's our sister Yveltal. I am the goddess of souls, that encompasses both life and death. Both Xerneas and Yveltal answer to me."**

'How is that supposed to help me?'

" **Believe it or not, Aaron, sister is trying to help you in her own abrasive way. Life and death are two sides of the same coin, administered by the same goddess. You cannot have one without the other and your actions do not condemn you to us in any way."** Palkia said, much more gently.

'So why? Why is murder wrong in every culture? Why are humans inherently bothered by the thought of taking a life?'

" **It bothers you because you have yet to forgive yourself. You have yet to reconcile the warrior you are with the scholar you were,"** Dialga said, " **In some ways, this is great news. When we chose an aura guardian to walk the earth once more, we did not want a puppet. We did not want someone whose identity would require our constant validation. We do not care about the lives you claimed, but that you are so bothered means the one you need forgiveness from is yourself."**

" **So no, we will not magically wish away your emotional troubles,"** Arceus said, " **You must find your own validation."**

'... thanks, everyone…'

Even after the end of his conversation with the primordials, he spent the night tossing and turning, too afraid of his own mind to allow himself to sleep. 'What does it mean to forgive myself…?' The way he figured it, he could either accept that he was a killer, or he could go insane. He would not delude himself or make excuses. Yes, he killed to protect those scientists, but when he asked himself whether he would have been as brutal had there been no hostages, he could not offer a conclusive response. 'It's them or us. I wasn't going to stay out of it and keeping enemies alive is stupid. I… I won't go against the laws of war, but I refuse to be sorry about deaths that occur in combat,' he resolved to himself.

 **For your bout of inner reflection and reconciliation, you have earned 2 WIS!**

'.. thanks, overgrown lizards.' He drifted off into a more restful sleep, too addled to notice the pair of pulsing, crimson eyes glowing in the distance.

X

When morning came, Aaron shook off the weariness from his lack of sleep and greeted his pokemon cheerfully. After a light breakfast, he moved back down to the cave entrance and waited. Soon enough, he saw the two scientists emerge from the cave and place a simple ziplock bag of luminous moss on the cavern floor. After waiting for them to depart, he weighed the green substance in his hands. 'This should be… forty-five grams or so?'

Closing his eyes, he looked within himself and shoved every drop of aura into Agility. After twin stacks, he rushed towards fossil lab and made the journey in only an hour and a half. Putting on his mask, he made it to the fossil lab and dropped the bag of fossils at their doorstep. 'Contract fulfilled, I guess…'

 **Repeated use of Agility's second iteration has increased its level by 1!**

'Huh, neat.' After a quick shower, and still hours before the two scientists could come back to report their findings, he moved down to the pokemart to deliver the moss.

William the pharmacist was there, tiredly rubbing his eyes and nursing a cup of coffee. "Yo," he called.

"Hey, I just got back. I got the goods if ya got the cash," Aaron said gruffly.

William snorted. "You can stop acting like a two-bit drug dealer. It's just moss."

"Lies, who knows what kind of sketchy chemicals you're planning on making with this stuff? Maybe you'll create the next big drug that'll send illicit trade skyrocketing. It would then force gangs to go to war for the limited resource while someone murders you in an attempt to steal the secret formula. The war will drive recruitment and the League will have to get involved. The League would be forced to use lethal force and diminish the trust people have in authority, leading to the collapse of society as we know it," he spat out as quickly as possible. Taking a deep breath, he brought out a premade tinfoil hat from behind his back and put it on with a flourish. Aaron then stared skeptically at William. "You won't bring about the collapse of society as we know it… will you?"

"..." The pharmacist stared at Aaron, then back to his coffee. "It's too early for your shit," he grumbled. "Just shut up and give me the moss…"

He fished the bag out of his pocket. Even in the bright fluorescent lighting, the green moss glowed a beautiful neon hue. "What's this stuff used in anyway? You're not secretly part of a drug cartel or anything, are you?"

He scoffed. "Yeah, right. Dealing in pokemon medicine illegally is basically a death wish. Sure, it's really more like a trial and a long prison sentence, but if the rangers 'accidentally' kill you during the bust, the League tends to look the other way. Anyway, the luminous moss is used to make a waterproof, non-toxic balm. It's popular among rock and fire type trainers that live near a lot of watery habitats, like here. It's not super expensive, but it's still a bit higher up on the price table because it's annoying to harvest and hard to cultivate."

Aaron nodded and handed it over, receiving the quest completion notice.

 **Quest Complete: Not a Rolling Stone**

 **Details: "A rolling stone gathers no moss…" It's a good thing you've got no musical talent whatsoever then, eh? Gather some moss because music is your Boulevard of Broken Dreams."**

 **Objective: Gather 30 grams worth of luminous moss from the Glittering Cave.**

 **Bonus Objective: Gather extra moss, reward for every 15 grams extra.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- 1 hyper potion.**

 **\- 1 Herbal Elixir.**

 **\- 200 EXP.**

 **Bonus Rewards**

 **\- 15 EXP per 15 grams collected.**

 **\- 10 credits per 15 grams collected.**

"Alright, you got me a bit more than I needed so here's 10 credits and my special Herbal Elixir for your trouble." He handed over some pocket change and a vial of purple liquid.

"Lovely, I'm sure your mystery juice will go great with a shot of vodka," he snarked. "What is it anyway?"

"Hey, don't knock it until you try it. It's an Ambrette specialty. My grandmother used to make it when I was younger."

"Alright… what do you drink it for? Is it an antidote or something? That could be really useful."

"Bah, I can sell you antidotes just fine. No, grandma had me drink these every year on my birthday. It's supposed to make me smarter or something. I mean, I turned out great, right?" he said with a massive grin.

"Right… thanks…" 'I'm going to go ahead and assume this is one of those RPG things… God, it's weird when it happens in real life.' "While I'm here, can you get me two dozen or so potions? Or if you can, super potions?"

"Super potions are expensive you know. Seventy credits apiece isn't exactly cheap."

"Yeah, but they might save my pokemons' lives someday. Give me two dozen." He winced as his savings took a massive hit. '1680 credits… Good thing food in my inventory doesn't rot.' Aaron said goodbye and shuffled out of the mart with only 159 credits to his name. 'I feel like I just got out of a drug deal…' Behind him, while both men were not looking, potions and bottles levitated, only to rearrange themselves in strange patterns. With a soft giggle, the spectre followed him out.

X

Seeing how the two scientists wouldn't be back in town until the afternoon, Aaron dragged Sophie out of bed and carried her sleepy husk to the training fields. Surprisingly, after a glass of orange juice, she was much more compliant than usual. Her typical self would have rebelled at the idea of training, especially in the morning. She mumbled something about watching trainers battle the day before and released her three pokemon. She tried to sit down on the benches, but he dragged her to her feet.

"Come on, Soph, if you're going to make your pokemon work, you're going to join them."

She glared murderously but acquiesced when he gently pushed her towards her pokemon. "Alright, fine, you workout nut. What do I do?"

"If you were me, I'd have you spar against Yuengling, but I think the mienfoo might snap your neck on accident so let's not do that. Instead, you and Shiner are going to run laps. Well, Shiner's going to fly. The swablu line's main method of flight is by riding the air rather than actively flapping. That means they trade the speed and stamina of more aggressive fliers like pidgeot and talonflame in exchange for longer airtime and better control over air currents in general. Shiner needs to develop her wing muscles and you need to develop… everything." He ignored the indignant squawking and pressed on. "You're each going to do laps for as long as you can. If you slow down too much…" He trailed off but made a show of putting rubber bullets into his pistol.

"You're going to shoot us? You're cruel!"

"Rubber," he pointed out, "Besides, pain's a great motivator. I don't have unrealistic standards. Just don't slow down too much and give it your all. Jog at a reasonable pace and I won't have to shoot your backside," he said with a wicked grin. He tossed his own pokeballs, releasing Fable and Isis.

Yuengling and Fable eyed each other cautiously. Throughout the past few weeks, the two had become something like rivals. Despite his relative age, Fable was much better trained than Yuengling, faster, and had a better handle on his own abilities. Yuengling kept up because he had a type advantage. "Yuengling and Fable, you two are going to spar. No hold bars. We're in a pokemon center so we may as well make use of the free healing. Kick each others' asses half to death for all I care."

He then turned to the only two left: Corona the litleo and his faithful natu, Isis. "You two are going to play tag. Corona, you're going to try to catch Isis. Isis, you're only allowed to Teleport every ten seconds. This is meant to build up your species' naturally weak wing strength. When you evolve, I want you to immediately be able to use Air Slash." He turned his holo caster to the timer app and left them to it. Then, he marched himself to one corner of the training field, where he began his standard workout while keeping an eye on the rest.

After an hour and a single STR point, he called them for a small break and had them switch things up. This time, Isis was forbidden from moving outside of a circle drawn in the dirt. She would have to either jump in a limited space or block Corona's Embers using Peck. He was hoping she would figure out Confusion when she found out that Peck would be ineffective. Fable was sent to do more earth manipulation exercises and Yuengling took to running suicides to improve his speed. Finally, he gave Sophie some light exercises to do for her upper body and blindfolded Shiner. The swablu was taught to sense the changes in air pressure, just as he had with Isis.

By the time lunch rolled around, he thought they made decent progress. Isis managed to stop Corona's Ember a handful of times. Not long, only for a few seconds, but still enough for her to get out of the way. Corona's fire also felt a bit hotter. Fable was starting to make earth manipulation instinctual and Aaron was swearing up and down that Fable's ears looked more rigid, a sign of impending evolution. Yuengling was content to finally have a decent workout and Shiner had "watched" everyone's exercises while blindfolded, using the change in air pressure to guess at what was happening around her. She wasn't entirely successful, but she was on the right track.

X

"Why are we headed to the lab again?" Sophie asked as she cradled Corona in her arms. The flaming cub purred contentedly as she stroked the back of his ears.

"We're leaving tomorrow. Or at least, I planned to leave tomorrow. I wanted to see the amaura one more time," he said. 'And get the Aerodactylite.'

She stuck her tongue out. "They let me play with her while you were galavanting around some cave."

Aaron did a double take. "Really? They let you inside the enclosure?"

"Yeah! Apparently, all the immunizations and such have already been taken care of so as long as I helped out with cleaning the place, they let me take care of her for a day. They even let me bring my pokemon inside," she gushed.

'Huh… I wonder…'

When they entered the lab, Aaron saw the two scientists he had rescued speaking in hushed whispers with Vincent. Sophie, unaware of the circumstances, gave him a cheerful wave. "Dr. Grear, can I go see Aurora again?" she called.

"Sophie, back again I see. I'm sorry, but now isn't a good time," he started apologetically, only for the older man to stop him with a hand.

"Hold on, Vincent. You say this young lady has already met our prehistoric friend?"

"Yes, they get along quite well, really."

"And… you've confirmed that we've received the fossils… correct?"

The researcher's face turned grave. "Perhaps we shouldn't discuss this in the open."

The two men and the flunky hustled into the back and after fifteen minutes of awkwardly standing around, they returned with a pokeball and a stone that reminded him a violet marble. Dr. Vincent Grear held out the pokeball to Sophie. "Young lady, due to some outstanding circumstances, we would like for you to take Aurora with you."

Aaron would have laughed at how solemn this all was, but the haunted look in the older gentleman's face stopped him. Next to him, Sophie gaped like a feeding wailord. "W-Wait what? You want me… to take… Aurora? Why? Weren't you going to study her?"

"Not to worry, my dear. We've taken all the biological samples we'll need. We even have some of her teeth from when she lost and replaced them, part of her natural growth cycle, I'm sure."

"But still, you wouldn't give a rare pokemon to just anyone, so why me?"

This time, the scientist Aaron met in the cave answered her. He wrung his hands nervously. "You see… when my intern and I were at the Glittering Cave, we were attacked by a criminal syndicate called Team Flare. We were saved though, by a rather intimidating fellow by the name of Lupin." He turned to Aaron. "At any rate, Lupin saved our lives and even returned the fossils, but at a price. He made me promise to gift Aurora to the first person she bonded to. It's really one big coincidence, really, how you happened to be visiting her while I was in the cave. If you hadn't visited the day before, I would even say it was planned."

Sophie shot Aaron a dangerous glare, the same glower that women instinctively mastered. It said, "We'll talk later and you will answer." "Yeah… a coincidence…"

"If I were to keep the amaura, she would just be a reminder of a time I'd rather forget. So, please take her." He then handed the violet orb towards Aaron. "I also heard from my colleague that you were asking about mega evolution. Take this. Perhaps it'll do you good."

He wanted to snatch it out of his hand and run out of the lab screaming "No takesies backsies," but controlled himself and played his part. "I have to ask as well. Are you sure? If I'm not mistaken, that should be a mega stone," he said with a practiced curious look.

"Yes, yes it is. For which species, I have no idea. This was another object that Lupin fellow made me swear to give away. In a way, he's right. Mega evolution can only be achieved by the power of bonds. As such, this belongs with a trainer who is actively searching for it, not in a lab."

"If you're sure… I mean, I won't give this back…" he trailed off.

"I'm quite sure. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I have a few week's vacation days saved up." With that, the somber researcher shuffled his way back inside with a tired slump. The duo bid Vincent Grear a hasty goodbye and made their way outside.

 **You have obtained the Aerodactylite! You have gained 500 EXP! Your attributes have all risen by 2!**

"Aaron…" Sophie began.

"Not here," he shushed her, "I'll explain as much as I can, but later."

X

"Talk," Sophie demanded with all the authority an angry sixteen-year-old girl could muster. She ended up looking like an angry puppy soaked in the bath too long, but he could tell she wasn't going to let this go. As soon as they got back to the pokemon center, she had dragged him to his room by his collar, ignoring the catcalls from trainers misinterpreting her actions for something more adult in nature.

"Okay, fine," he sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"You were there at the cave." A nod. "You saved them. Don't even deny it. You're Lupin."

He raised his hands defensively. "I wasn't going to."

"Good," she sniffed, "You also rigged things somehow so that I'll end up with Aurora and you'll get the mega stone." She gasped like someone had poured a bucket of ice water over her head. "You stole a mega stone from Viscount Shabboneau!"

"Shhh! Why don't you scream that a little louder? I don't think they heard you back in Camphrier."

"You're a thief!"

"Yes, but I didn't steal anything valuable."

"The mega stones aren't valuable?" she asked in the same tone mothers used to confront their children. Aaron had the distinct feeling of being chastised like a five-year-old.

"They are, but not to him. The stone has no monetary value and honestly, he had no idea what it even was!"

"And that makes it okay to steal a family heirloom?"

"No… but I told you how I got Isis, right?"

"Yes… you won her from the viscount. Don't tell me you stole her too, Aaron," she cried as she cradled her head in her hands.

"No, of course not! When I first went to ask for the flute, we had a battle and I won Isis by beating his bodyguard or somesuch!"

"Then what does she have to do with this?"

"You know she's blind." A nod. "Well, she was neglected because of it so…"

"You're making excuses," she accused.

"Okay," he sighed, "I am. But in my defense, he's hardly going to miss it."

"Why do you care about the mega stones so much? I mean, you need some kind of super bond with your pokemon, right? And do you even know which pokemon they respond to?"

"Mawile and aerodactyl," he said automatically. "The stone I got from the fat lard is a Mawilite. The one I just got is an Aerodactylite. I know that because I'm an aura guardian." 'And because I have a near encyclopedic knowledge of pokemon from the perspective of a video game protagonist, but semantics.' "Look, I know you're not happy about this, but I'm collecting the stones because they're an important part of my growth as an aura guardian."

"Aura guardians had mega evolutions?" she asked skeptically.

"No."

"Then you don't need them either."

"I don't mean that I'm going to go look for a mawile now," he snapped, "I mean that the stones themselves influence my growth."

"What are you? A pokemon?"

"I may as well be considering how I can use their moves," he drawled. "Back to the amaura, I didn't have any intention of getting you the little dinosaur. Honestly, I just made the guy promise to give the amaura to someone who bonded with it. It's entirely a coincidence that you just happened to get all buddy buddy with the thing while I was gone."

"And the Aerodactylite? Is that really what we're calling it? Because that's a mouthful…"

"You can call it meganite if you want. It's the same thing. And yeah, I did intend to collect the stone one way or another but come on, I didn't do it illegally."

"This time," she accused.

"I don't see you running off to return the amaura."

She cradled her new addition reflexively. "Her name is Aurora." Aaron shot her an unimpressed glare. She sighed, defeated. "Fine, but this doesn't make me accessory to your crimes."

He smiled, victorious. "No, no it doesn't. You're just really lucky."

"And you have to promise me. No. More. Stealing."

"I don't steal anything except mega stones," he said defensively. "If I really felt like it, I could leave a Teleport marker in my room, bust into a bank at night, shove all the money in my inventory, then use Teleport to appear back in my room as though nothing happened. I'm not a monster, Sophie."

"Banks have dark types that use a low-density dark pulse around the area specifically to prevent that kind of thing," she noted dryly.

"Fine, but my point is that I could do so much more than steal a few artifacts."

"Maybe, but saying you're not as bad as you could be is hardly a good argument!"

He crossed his arms defensively. "I have morals, okay? They may not be as snow white and squeaky clean as yours, but they exist."

"And I'm saying you need better standards," she huffed. "Promise me you're not going to steal anymore. The last thing I need is to be traveling with a kleptomaniac. By Arceus! My brother is a ranger! I'm obligated to help him arrest you!"

"I'm not going to win here, am I?" he nursed a throbbing headache. "I promise I that I'll only steal mega stones." Glower. "And that I'll only resort to theft as a final option."

She continued to stare at him, judging him, even as he stubbornly looked away. "That's the best I'm going to get?" Silence. "Fine, that'll do. For now…"

He knew that wouldn't be the end of it, but let out a relieved sigh anyway. "Thank you. Now, is there anything you wanted to do before leaving?"

"No…"

"Fine, if you want to sulk here, that's great. But at least let me meet Aurora."

Grudgingly, she tossed her ball on the floor. As it bounced back into her hand, a red glow filled the room. The little dinosaur was only about as high as his waist, but Aaron knew that she would grow to dwarf him in a mere few weeks. Months at most. She looked around the room curiously, her twin sails scattering the light to create a shimmering halo above her brow.

"You are beautiful," he breathed.

"Not as beautiful as me, I hope," came a giggling voice from beneath the bed.

"Eep!" Sophie squeaked in surprise and Aaron aimed a gun he hadn't been holding a moment ago.

"Hehehehe, relax, you silly children." A shadow expanded to cover the floor. From within the void, a disembodied head lifted into the air. The face was… attractive… in a distorted sense, normal enough to be easily recognizable as human, but with enough abnormalities to convince the viewer that something was very wrong. The dusky green head with her golden eyes and crimson irises peered at them with a coy smirk. "What? Speechless? Yes, I have that effect on people."

"I… You… What…"

"Aaron? You didn't get a new pokemon, did you?" Sophie asked shakily.

"No… I don't think so…?" He stared curiously at the misdreavus. "I think I'd remember picking up a ghost type."

The amaura felt it had enough of being ignored and let out a crooning wail before thumping her new trainer's foot.

"Ow! Aurora, why!" Sophie cried as she nursed her bruised toes. The chilly sauropod snorted in response before looking away in a huff.

Aaron massaged his head to dispel a growing a migraine. "Lovely, we've got two divas now…"

"Glad you understand, master," the misdreavus chortled as she knocked her head against an empty pokeball. "We'll talk later. I'm not fond of the light anyway."

"Okay… That was weird. On the plus side, we just have to deal with the cute dino now," Sophie grinned as she began scratching her new pokemon's sail.

Aurora preened at her ministrations. "Well of course. With a name like Aurora, I must be adorable."

The allure of seeing a new pokemon up close shriveled up and died like a jellyfish in the middle of the desert. "And… of course she's a spoiled little princess." He rolled his eyes. "Guess what, Sophie, your new dino is going to want to be pampered twenty-four seven."

She laughed and hugged the little pokemon to her chest. "I'm okay with that," she grinned gleefully. "How many people can say they have a fossil pokemon?"

"Don't worry, Aaron, I'll make sure she doesn't grow too spoiled," Shiner sniffed from atop her head.

Sophie began to scratch Aurora's neck, just behind the sails, and a curious rumble filled the room. It sounded like a cross between a purr and a more reptilian hiss, rhythmic and melodic but primal all the same.

"Is she purring, boss?"

"Looks like it, Fable. I didn't know that was possible… Pokemon are weird…" Shelving the strange biological function of a purring dinosaur for the moment, Aaron whipped out his pokedex and scanned the amaura.

 **Amaura: Amaura are pokemon restored from 100 million-year-old fossils. Their fossils are found only in the southwestern coast of Kalos, suggesting that the now temperate region was at one point a frozen tundra. It is theorized that their ancestors fled from warmer climates into tundra to escape predators, eventually developing an ice typing over the course of millions of years. They, along with lapras, stand as the only two known reptilian ice types, with the glaring exception of the Legendary Kyurem. Scientists have found that they are cold-blooded, but survive in icy climates thanks to certain proteins that optimize oxygen intake under cold temperatures. This pokemon is extremely rare and its social and psychological norms are shrouded in mystery.**

Aaron let out a low whistle. "You're going to have your hands full, Soph. Congratulations though, you are now a pioneer in learning more about this new pokemon species."

"Lovely…" she brightened quickly, "at least I have my own personal translator."

He chuckled. And began packing his bags. "Maybe, but I recommend you try to understand her quickly. Hopefully, you'll be able to build a rapport with her soon because I refuse to stay in Shalour just to be your interpreter."

X

Xerosic and Lysandre were standing in front of a one-way glass looking at a thoroughly traumatized woman. Her bright orange suit had been replaced by a white hospital gown. She sat silently, staring listlessly at the one-way glass.

"Well, Xerosic? Just who is this 'Lupin' character?" Lysandre demanded.

"I… honestly do not know," he bit out. For a scholar who earnestly believed humanity's progress lay in the accumulation of knowledge, even that small admission was painful to say. "He first appeared on our radar when I was attempting to secure some funds for an independent project of mine. He got to my target first."

Lysandre's eyebrow lifted a fraction of an inch. "An independent project?" he asked.

"N-Nothing you'd be interested in, sir," he said guardedly, "it's just a bit of side work on robotics and human prosthetics."

His superior grunted his dismissal. "Go on."

"I don't think he intended to stop me intentionally. He just happened to be in Camphrier. I later found out that he was stealing a mega stone from the viscount."

"Yes…" Lysandre fiddled with his holo caster for a moment before the news article from Camphrier popped up. On it was a picture of the viscount, the statue, and the jewel that had been taken. "To think I didn't notice the fool had a stone…"

"Anyway, from that, I concluded that he was a master thief looking to collect the mega stones for one purpose or another. Perhaps he is trying to find one for his partner pokemon, or maybe he intends to sell to the highest bidder. I don't know."

"And what have you learned from her?" Lysandre's eyes flitted towards the despairing woman.

The corpulent doctor sighed in frustration. "Not much. As with the first time, he wore a mask. He showed superior strength and speed and a distinct lack of remorse for killing in battle. This tells me that he's likely a mercenary of some sort, possibly one that's fallen on harder times. That might explain the thievery. She couldn't even tell me what pokemon he used because the cavern was filled with mist! She just keeps babbling about haunting music!"

"..." The business mogul mulled over those words for a bit. "That is rather vexing… It does reinforce the idea that he is or was at one point a professional soldier. To take out multiple people and pokemon without revealing a single clue as to his capabilities… There are too many pokemon capable of using obscuring techniques. Mist, Smokescreen, and Haze all come to mind. I'm sure there are others. The music as well… have you tried to find out what she heard?"

"Yes, sir," he growled. "According to her, the song came from everywhere at once. At first, I thought it was Sing, but none of them fell asleep so I ruled that out. It clearly wasn't an offensive technique either so I dismissed the whismur line as well. My best bet is some sort of pokemon capable of moving quickly or using Teleport to create the illusion that there are more of them than in actuality. I thought of bird pokemon, but that doesn't help us. How many people have flying types?"

"Can you show her some sounds and have her identify them?"

"I tried that already. She just panics at anything resembling birdsong. I'd also like to point out that not all singing pokemon are birds. Gardevoir can sound like something similar as well."

Lysandre sighed and dreamed of the bottle of exclusive scotch hidden in the bottom drawer of his office. "Fine… what else can you tell me?"

"I did some digging. The fossils her team was sent to retrieve were returned back to the lab."

"So he wasn't after them then… Either he meant to stop Team Flare… or he thought fossils and mega stones were related. Scour our men. Make sure there are no moles, Xerosic. I won't take that chance."

"And if it happens again?"

"Then we can conclusively determine that he is our enemy… and get rid of him."

"Very well."

X

Three faces looked at one another through a video conference call. One was a dark-skinned young man with teased hair. Grant, the gym leader of Cyllage and de facto protector of the southwestern corner of Kalos, stared at his colleagues. The second was a woman, a major in the KFR assigned to the region. The final individual was an old man who shook his head sadly.

"Doctor Wilde," Grant began, "what can you tell me about the corpses in Glittering Cave?"

The old man stroke his beard and took a drink of water. "Nothing much," he said. "I conducted an autopsy as you asked, but nothing really valuable could be gleaned from the bodies. This Lupin fellow uses a blade and 9mm bullets, standard issue."

"That is unfortunate. Isn't there a way to track the bullets to the seller?"

The major spoke up. "There is. Each pack of bullets sold in Kalos has a serial number. However, the jury's still out on whether or not we can get anything out of them. It's not as though they don't get lost or sold on the black market."

Grant nodded. "Was there anything special about the bodies? What did the scientists say about the incident?"

"Only that Lupin is a capable combatant," the major said in clipped tones. "He was strong enough to hold back a scrafty using a combat knife for some time. We found the tip of the knife broken in its skull." There was a measure of respect from the stern woman. "Pity, anyone capable of doing something like that could be a great asset to the rangers."

"I see."

"Also, the witnesses confirmed that the dead men called themselves Team Flare. They were there to steal the fossils from the excavation, possibly in order to revive and sell the rare pokemon."

"So a matter of self-defense then."

"Do we kick this up to the powers that be?" the doctor asked.

"No… there's no reason to take this to the Elite Four quite yet," Grant murmured. "For now, let's mark him as a person of interest. He is wanted for questioning, but I'm not sure he can be called a national threat."

"Very well, Marquis. What of the pair that received the mega stone and amaura?"

"Coincidental… maybe… Let us observe them for now. There isn't any concrete evidence to bring them in for questioning."

"Understood."

X

That night, alone in his room save for his two teammates, Aaron let the misdreavus out of her ball. She looked around as the light faded before meeting his gaze. In the darkness, the dusky green of her skin blended perfectly with the shadows, leaving only a pair of crimson rubies surrounded by pools of gold to mark her presence.

"Hello, my new master. I suppose now is a better time to talk since that nuisance is no longer here," she sniffed.

"Sophie isn't a nuisance," he replied automatically.

"Oh? Who said anything about Sophie?"

Aaron breathed in, then out. "Okay, yeah, she can be a bit annoying, but no more than any other sixteen-year-old girl."

The misdreavus shrugged. "As you say, master."

"Right, now I'm sure you've got a great reason for suddenly showing up to be my pokemon, but introductions first. My name is Aaron Phantomweiss. The bunny is Fable and the bird is Isis. Questions?"

"Just one: Do I get a name too?" she said with a coy smile.

Aaron sighed. There was something about that smile that threw him off a bit. It promised pleasure and pain in equal measure. It screamed of mischief and anarchy while proclaiming the innocence of its wearer. He let out another tired sigh and flipped his pokedex.

 **Misdreavus: Misdreavus are notorious among ghost type trainers for being more akin to pests than true threats. They often mimic the sounds of crying women to unnerve their victims, seemingly for amusement. It was once thought that fear and other such emotions are a source of nourishment, but that theory has been debunked. Wild misdreavus live away from population centers and those in captivity have shown no negative symptoms from being deprived of fear. Phoebe, the Hoenn Elite, referred to fear as "candy," a treat to be had sparingly. While they are seen as pests, it should be noted that truly angering one is a very bad idea. Only one case of this exists, but in this case, a man tried to coax his sneasel to steal the crimson gems off the misdreavus. The reasons are unclear, but the outcome speaks for itself. His brother, who was in an entirely separate region, died under mysterious circumstances only three weeks later. His parents, cousins, and children soon followed. By the end of six months, he took his own life. How much responsibility can the misdreavus claim for this tragedy? How much of it was simple luck or paranoia reinforcing the victims' thoughts?**

 **This misdreavus has the ability, Levitate, and knows the moves Destiny Bond, Imprison, Curse, Psywave, Spite, Astonish, Confuse Ray, Mean Look, and Hex.**

"Don't touch the necklace. Got it," Aaron said dryly. "That is an impressive move list though."

"Indeed. Now do I get a name or not? I'd like on that captures my elegant majesty," she sniffed, flipping her hair in a move straight out of a shampoo commercial designed with Satan as the audience. Her ghostly hair seemed to float in a display that was both weirdly alluring and deeply uncomfortable. The pink highlights didn't help.

"Sure, but only after you tell me how you ended up here."

The ghost bobbed erratically in the air. "Okay, fine. You know, women don't like pushy men," she pouted. Seeing that she wasn't going to get a rise out of him, she started talking. "I first saw you at Maya's cave. I mean, sure, Maya crushed you, but do you have any idea how rare it is to find an aura guardian these days?"

Aaron chuckled sheepishly. "You saw that then… And yes, I'm the last aura guardian. There are humans with supernatural abilities like Sabrina in Kanto, but no one that has an intrinsic connection to aura like I do. Is that why you decided to follow me? Because I'm an aura guardian?"

She shrugged, or whatever was a floating head's equivalent. "Nope. I mean, that's cool and all, but that's just a part of it. No, what really impressed me was your fight with those orange people." Her perpetual smile grew by several molars, taking on a distinctly distorted appearance he wouldn't find amiss on the Joker. "You were so ruthless," she crowed, "The way you cut them down. Terrorized them. Their fear was scrumptious."

The room seemed to fill with an unearthly pressure at the misdreavus' delight. The sheer joy she expressed upon just thinking about the fear he caused unsettled him, but he steeled himself. "I didn't do it because I enjoyed their suffering," Aaron replied coldly. "The tactics I used were the best fit for minimizing danger to my own pokemon. That. Is. All. If you're expecting that to be a regular occurrence, you're going to be disappointed."

The ghostly witch looked completely unsurprised at that. "Oh, I know, master. In fact, I know you were greatly discomforted by causing so much unnecessary pain. I don't see what the problem was, but I heard. I saw you speak to the great goddess and how she chastised you. You, who can commune with the Distortion, there can be no one better fit to lead her high priestess."

Aaron was… baffled. 'Giratina? You have a priestess?'

" **Don't ask me. I knew the whelp was watching, but I don't recall naming anyone a priest, never mind a high priestess,"** the chaos dragon gave the equivalent of a mental shrug.

"See! I knew it! You speak to her!" The excited misdreavus twirled around his head like a child on a sugar high. "Please, master, please let me join you!"

"Huh… so you're not schizophrenic, boss?" Fable remarked dryly. "Seriously though, I can't sense anything. Isis?"

The tiny bird pokemon shook her head. "I can feel his aura change slightly, but I don't feel anything divine about it. Perhaps it's a quirk of ghost types."

Aaron nodded. "Probably. Remember what I said about ghost type aura when I learned Night Shade. A ghost type's power comes from the Distortion World, the spiritual plane that mirrors this physical plane. Since Giratina is the only being there, it makes sense that ghosts are sensitive to her presence." He turned to the misdreavus. "Can you hear what she's saying?"

"Oh, no, of course not. Her voice is not for this lowly one to hear, master. By following you, I hope to one day be worthy of hearing it for myself. Her presence alone," she shivered in ecstasy, "it is like the greatest high, the most delicious meal, the most mind-blowing orgasm, and the peace of deep meditation all in one. Her aura washes over me, master."

"Please tell me that not every ghost will throw themselves at me like this…" he groaned. The more he spoke with her, the surer he became: There was something wrong with that misdreavus.

" **Heh, this is kind of funny,"** Giratina chortled, " **but no, not every ghost will treat you like this. In fact, some might take the opposite route and attack you for being able to speak with me despite not being a ghost. It might even be considered insulting to some. This one… she's just weird… It's very possible that other ghosts just won't care. It's not like I demand worship after all."**

His palm met his face. "Lovely…" he muttered through his hand.

" **On the bright side, Aaron, you can't possibly ask for a more loyal pokemon,"** Palkia pointed out.

'Loyal to who though?' he thought, 'I want to earn that loyalty as a trainer, not because the giant centipede with Tourette's won't stay out of my head.'

" **Oh, just take her, Aaron. Who knows? If she actually manages to impress me, I might bless her for real,"** Giratina snorted, not entirely able to suppress her giggles.

'You really had nothing to do with this?'

" **Nope, she really is just an odd one."**

He reached out to grab the disembodied head. She felt solid yet not, something akin to mist that somehow conformed to his fingers. He'd have likened her to jello, but there was a firmness there that seemed otherworldly. "Look, fine. You can be my pokemon." He covered his ears to suppress the squeal. "With a few conditions: First, no terrorizing people without my permission. Second, try to get along with everyone we travel with. You don't have to be friends with Sophie, her pokemon, or even Fable and Isis, but I expect you to not kill each other. Third, You, Fable, and Isis are family. That means you look out for each other. Clear?" She nodded vigorously. Then, an idea struck him. It was an unholy plan, a wicked thing that crawled up from the depths of Cthulhu's buttcrack to haunt the realm of men, but the idea had taken root. "Finally," he spoke solemnly, "I have communed with the goddess. She demands that hymns be written about her greatness, to be sung on the nights with a full moon. She demands that the message of her benevolence be preached to every new pokemon you meet, to the accompaniment of a song, as befits her majesty. Do you agree to compose these hymns? Will you spread the words of the goddess to all?"

" **Oh, you son of a bitch,"** Giratina groaned, but there was a measure of respect there, " **nice one…"**

" **Hahahaha, he got you, sister,"** Palkia cackled.

 **Through creative use… possible abuse… of the trust of your new pokemon, you've gained 2 REP with Palkia. You've gained 1 REP with Arceus, Dialga, and Giratina. You've gained 1 WIS. Now don't make a habit of it.**

He would have laughed with them had not a ghostly blur crashed against his chest. "Oh, yes, yes, master! I will spread her glorious name until even the dirt sings her praises!"

"Great," he stroked her phantasmal hair, "now I'm going to give you a name… How about Salem?"

"That sounds nice, master, suitably solemn for the high priestess," she nodded proudly.

"Don't get your hopes up, buddy," Fable chuckled, "for all we know, it could mean 'green snot.'"

The newly christened Salem blew him an impressive raspberry. "Master wouldn't do that. Would you, master?" She stared at him with the soulful eyes of an abused puppy.

"No, Salem's actually pretty cool name. Where I'm from, it's the name of a town where several witches were killed. Since then, it's been rumored to be haunted, a home for ghosts. It's appropriate that Giratina's high priestess acts as a refuge for ghosts, right?" he said, laughing nervously. 'Dead things shouldn't be that cute…'

"Of course! Salem I shall be."

"Great…" 'Huh… what my Reputation is with this one anyway?' He opened up his Reputation menu.

 **Reputation (Aaron)**

 **\- Fable: 27**

 **\- Isis: 23**

 **\- Salem: 34**

 **\- Arceus: 14**

 **\- Palkia: 15**

 **\- Dialga: 8**

 **\- Giratina: 11**

 **\- Sophie Castellan: 12**

 **\- Morgan Castellan: 2**

 **Reputation (Lupin)**

 **\- Kalos Public: -10**

 **\- Ambrette Fossil Lab: 2**

 **\- Team Flare: -20**

 **Congratulations! Your REP with an individual has reached 34 or higher. You are Adored by that person. Your CHA has risen by 1!**

'Great… I've got a cultist to adore me… Wait til she finds out I can talk to all the celestials…'

X

Unsurprisingly, he didn't get much sleep the previous night. When she found out about her new master's familiarity with the "divine family" as she called them, her opinion of him rose by a whopping 18 REP. She was still in the "Adored" category, but he was almost afraid of what might happen if she became too affectionate.

The following morning, he introduced Salem properly to Sophie and her own team. He should have been surprised, but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to feel that way when Salem burst into song praising the phantom goddess. She… wasn't the most popular pokemon, not that the quirky ghost cared much.

Only an hour later, Aaron and Sophie found themselves on the beaches of Route 8, staring longingly at the white sand and lapping waves. Initially, they had been looking forward to the trek to Cyllage, the beaches of the region were known for excellent weather, gentle waves, and warm water. Their hopes were cut short when they received alerts through their holo casters, warning all travelers away from the immediate coastline. This was the time of the year when algal blooms colored the ocean green. With the increase in marine flora, pokemon like clauncher and clawitzer also saw massive population booms. That in itself wouldn't be a problem, but the dragalge that used this opportunity as one big mating season crossed with feeding frenzy certainly was.

Dragalge poison was unique: While toxic to almost anything else, their poison was actually beneficial for skrelp, a mix of deterrent and nourishment all in one. Mature individuals of the species demonstrated their genetic superiority by filling localized waters with viscous ink-like poison clouds that advertised their eagerness. It was similar to bird pokemon making nests to impress potential mates… if the nests killed everything else around them.

This all meant that the beaches were closed, firstly to ensure that idiots wouldn't swim in them, and secondly to protect the town and surrounding ecosystem from arrogant trainers. A few years back, an overconfident trainer thought catching a full-grown dragalge would be great. To be sure, they were impressive pokemon when trained well, Drasna proved that a thousand times over, but inciting their wrath in the middle of the mating season was… unwise. Said trainer never made it ten steps out of the water before keeling over dead from such a complex cocktail of poisons that doctors gave up trying to identify them all less than halfway through. The dragalge collectively took vengeance for this disruption by launching salvos of Sludge Waves that traveled up the rivers, rendering the local water supply undrinkable for almost two months and ruining nearby farmland for miles around. That was two months even with an entire platoon of poison type specialists working to purify the area. Since then, Duke Siebold figured that the easiest way to make sure it never happened again was to just close off that half of Route 8 for the few weeks their ritual took.

Unfortunately for Aaron and Sophie, that meant they would have to trek through the forest, above the cliff. Still, the scenery overlooking the water was quite lovely and the breeze rustling through their hair was some slight compensation for the missed opportunity.

"The beach would have been so much nicer..." Sophie moaned while wiping the sweat from her brow. Three hours after leaving Ambrette, the two had climbed back up the cliff overlooking the coastal route.

"I get it, you wanted to swim, now hush."

"Don't give me that," she pouted. "We could have gone on an adventure, staryu, and starmie."

Aaron groaned into his palm. "Shiner, I'll pay you your weight in berries if you Sing your trainer to sleep right now."

Sophie's fluffy hat chirped. It sounded distinctly like a sniff. "I will not be bribed… no matter how bad her jokes are…"

"... twice your weight in berries?"

"Hey!" the girl in question cried in indignation. "Don't try to get my own pokemon to side with you!"

"Shhh, the adults are trying to negotiate your future."

"Shiner is not an adult."

"She's sure as hell more mature than you."

"You just have no sense of humor. Besides, I bet you were looking forward to the water as much as I was. Think about it, all those water pokemon… one of them's got to be unlucky enough to get caught by you."

"Shiner," he called as a delicious pink berry materialized in his hand.

The swablu took one look at the proffered treat and jabbed down with her beak, nipping her trainer's ear. "Ow! Shiner, you traitor!"

"All is fair in love and war. And I love these." The cloud-like bird caught the tossed berry in mid-air.

"She's snarking at me, isn't she?" Sophie grumbled.

"Where're our berries, boss?" Fable called from his shoulder.

Aaron sighed and withdrew more food for the pokemon. After tossing a berry each to Fable and Isis, he brought out a picnic blanket. He'd made the effort to call out Salem, but like Aurora, she just wasn't much of a fan of the sun. "Fine, we may as well take a break. Sophie, for the record, I would love a water type, but I'm not sure where I'd find one that fits me."

"What do you mean?" she asked after a gulp from her water bottle.

"I travel a lot, which means pokemon like sharpedo that are inhibited on land aren't very useful to me. I wouldn't mind having one, but it'll have to be using water manipulation on a constant basis to move its own body around." He brought out some cold sandwiches and tossed one towards her, chuckling at her fumbling catch. After setting out some food for their pokemon, he unwrapped his own sandwich and took a big bite of what amounted to pastrami in this world. Really, it was grumpig smoked and salted, but he quickly got over the thought of eating a psychic that was probably smarter than the average person.

Thinking of an idea, he picked up a rock. Then, after a moment's focus, tossed it behind him over a nearby bush. He took another big bite and muffled, "Teleport." A moment later, he sat at the other side of the bush.

"Wow… that's a little bright…" Sophie said.

Aaron looked over his MP and saw that it had decreased by fifty. "Yeah… it's kind of unfortunate. I've actually used the move maybe once in public, and even then as Lupin. It's too flashy for constant use and it's also rather costly… I can do it maybe sixteen times in quick succession?"

"Huh, still kinda cool," she admitted. "Was there a point to this or were you just showing off?"

She hastily ducked the same rock. In another flash, Aaron appeared behind her and continued to eat his sandwich like nothing happened. "One, I want to get used to the feeling of warping from place to place. Two, I'd like to be able to keep my focus even while doing so. Three, I think that if I do it enough, I'll have enough control to mute the flash."

"Huh… good luck with that. I'd appreciate it if you did this where I wasn't looking though."

"Fine," he said and vanished after the pebble. This time, he made sure to throw it to her side.

With his WIS at 49, he could regenerate about that much MP per minute. By the time their hour-long lunch was up, he had managed to Teleport over seventy times, leveling the skill. 'Still no change,' he sighed after looking over the skill description. "Say, Sophie," he called, "check this out."

She turned and flinched as something akin to a camera flash marked his spatial distortion. "What the hell?"

"Sorry, how bright was that?" he asked.

"Kinda like looking into a camera. It wasn't horrible, but still annoying. How are you improving so quickly?"

"Talent," he said smugly.

"And can this talent get us to the next city? Didn't think so."

"Whatever, you're just jealous," he huffed. "Alright, enough screwing around. Let's go."

X

It took them two more days to cross roughly halfway to Cyllage. According to the pokedex, they made decent time. If nothing else, the constant traveling was making Sophie fitter, not that she was unhealthy before, but trying to keep up with someone who had the Gamer would turn even a diabetic into a triathlete. Or, it'd kill them, but that was beside the point.

As the sun was setting, the two happened upon a homey, two-story cottage. "Tabard Roadside Inn," it read. The two glanced at each other and shrugged. The tents were nice, but sleeping on the floor got old quickly and neither was eager to camp out if they had any other option. The small lodge was coated in a dark brown lacquer that glistened welcomingly in the setting sun. It looked rather like the standard camping lodge, but Aaron noticed that the sign was missing the sigil of the KFR.

Upon stepping inside, they were greeted by an old man, hair long gone from his wrinkled head and back stooped low. "Greetings, travelers," he said jovially. "Here for a night?" The proprietor was a surprisingly energetic man for one so old.

"Yes, how much would a room for two be?" Sophie asked.

Meanwhile, Aaron looked around. The walls were dotted with pictures of the forest's wildlife. Two young men featured prominently, doing anything from fishing and hunting to simply enjoying the presence of their pokemon. 'Weird…' he thought, 'I don't see anyone around…'

"That'll be twenty credits per room," the old man said with a smile. "Each room has two beds so one room should suffice."

'And oddly cheap too…' Aaron added.

"Thank you, mister…"

"George Navarre, young missy, but you can call me George."

After introducing themselves to the owner, the two moved upstairs to the room he had assigned them. It was a quaint room, as the rest of the inn, with the bare minimum in accommodations. Aaron walked in first and noted that the bed was only a slight improvement from the semi-hard soil of the forest floor. "You sure you want to stay here?" he asked her.

"Yeah, why not?" she shrugged. "We can just put our sleeping bags on top of the beds. It still beats sleeping outside."

"It was only twenty credits."

"You get what you pay for."

"And no one else was around."

"The gym circuit began months ago for most people, Aaron. The newer trainers are probably around Cyllage or Shalour and the older trainers have faster ways of travel than walking. This is probably a slow season for George," she explained.

"Maybe…"

"You're getting paranoid. See? This is what happens when you decide to make a master thief alter ego," she placed her hands on her hips and stared accusingly.

He sighed, there was just no winning with her. "We're not having this conversation again. I already promised to only resort to theft when there is no other option, and even then, only to steal the mega stones."

"That's still wrong."

"Maybe, but I can live with it," he said dryly. He called out his pistol and walked over to her. "You know how to handle a gun?"

"Sorta? My brother is a captain, you know."

"Good," he held out the pistol. "Maybe you're right and there's no need to panic. That'd be great, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Keep it on you for a while. You can give it back when we leave."

She rolled her eyes. "You're even worse than Morgan. It's like having a second overprotective brother."

"Whatever. I'm going to go and get some last minute training in. You wanna come?"

She yawned. "Nah, I'm going to stay here, take a hot shower, and relax. You can leave some food though." Aaron nodded and brought out a calzone from his inventory, still as piping hot as when he'd first shoved it in. He then pulled out a small meat pie for Shiner, Yuengling, and Corona and a salad of leafy greens and beets for Aurora. "Arceus, I love your inventory."

He smiled. "Agreed, it's easily the most useful skill I have." He then brushed his hand against the butt of his pistol, leaving a marker that glowed briefly then faded. "Seriously, keep the pistol near you."

"Yes, dad~"

"Fable, Isis," he called. The bunny and bird hopped onto his shoulders. With a casual flick, he let out Salem who sank seamlessly into his shadow.

X

He strolled downstairs and struck up a conversation with the old innkeeper. "Say, George," he leaned on the counter. "How come there aren't any more trainers nearby?"

"Hoh? Eager for a battle, are we?" he chuckled good-naturedly. "I used to be like you. If I were twelve years younger, I'd show you what for, but these old bones don't move like they used to and my friends are all long gone."

That piqued his interest. "You were a trainer as well?"

"A trainer? No, sonny, I was one of the trainers. I was one half of the strongest tag team to ever come out of Geosenge," he said proudly. "Me and my brother both, really. He used a lot of ground types and I liked my grass types. Together, we were famous for being able to control the entire battlefield. I used Frenzy Plant before it even had a name!"

"That's awesome! Say, you wouldn't happen to know anywhere I can catch good grass types nearby, would you?"

"I do, sonny, but I don't recommend it now. Not in these woods and especially not at night."

"Why not?"

George leaned forward and whispered in hushed tones, as though afraid of some paranormal watcher. "This place is haunted," he shivered.

"Haunted? Like by gastly? I'd be okay with those too," Aaron mused. He took out his pokedex and began searching for common gastly locales. "Nope, they're usually not too common around here…"

George sighed and walked from behind his counter. He moved towards one of the photos Aaron had glossed over the first time. It was a photo of the inn itself, in much more pristine condition, with a family happily standing in front. He pointed out a man grinning like a loon with one hand wrapped around a rather attractive woman. "See this, son? This is me." He pointed towards a massive chesnaught, its horns gigantic and riddled with scars even a machamp would have been proud of. "That's Bruiser. He was my partner. My wife and I started this inn about thirty-two years ago for trainers like yourselves. Two years after that, Bruiser died of a mysterious illness." He shook his head sadly. "We tried everything. The forest was supposed to be good for Bruiser and the doctors just didn't know what was wrong. My wife followed soon after. But you know, despite it all, I was happy to raise my son here…"

"What happened?"

"He disappeared one day," George seemed to age another decade, the weight of his experience pressing down on him. "My brother," he pointed at another man sitting atop a mighty donphan, "he was a well-known hunter back in the day… He decided that he would help me find my son. Somehow, I lost him in the woods and never saw him again. You know, I was confident. I was a great grass type trainer and I used to think I could map a forest as well as any flying type, better even. Ever since I can't quite remember where all the trees are anymore. It's like they rearrange themselves every night…"

Aaron furrowed his brows in agitation. "Why are you still here then? Why not tell the rangers and close up shop?"

George let loose another sigh, even wearier than the last. "I tried, son. I tried. They couldn't find anything and when I thought about moving… I just couldn't bring myself to do it. My wife, Juliet, never wanted much. She and I just wanted to provide a resting place, a waypoint for the new trainers so we could see the next generation, maybe provide a bit of guidance here and there. No, how could I move away from my family?"

"I understand," he swallowed thickly. 'Say, Giratina?'

" **Hmm?"**

'Is this place really haunted?'

" **Yes. I don't think this needs to be said, but go solve it."** For the first time, Aaron felt none of the exhilaration of receiving a quest.

 **Quest: Lay Down Thy Burdens**

 **Details: The forest is haunted. The souls of the restless are offensive to Giratina. Fix it.**

 **Objectives**

 **\- Find out why the forest is haunted.**

 **\- Confront the source.**

 **Bonus Objective**

 **\- Bring peace to George.**

 **Rewards**

 **\- 100 EXP per soul put to rest.**

 **\- 2000 EXP for removing the source.**

 **\- Enchanted wood crafting material.**

 **Bonus Reward**

 **\- 3 LUK for a selfless deed.**

 **\- 3 CHA for a selfless deed.**

 **Failure**

 **\- Death, both yours and Sophie's**

He sighed. There was no way he was going to reject the quest. If the forest was truly haunted, there was a good possibility that whatever was killing people off would come after them anyway. From a practical view, 2000 EXP was just too good to give up, never mind whatever the crafting material was. 'Then again… I should expect the difficulty to be just as bad as the reward is good.' He turned back to the old man. "George, is there anything else you can tell me about the forest? Like, do you know how the hauntings began or what the ghost could be?"

The man shook his head despondently. "No… All I know is that over the past thirty years, something close to seventy people have gone missing in this forest with no rhyme or reason. Everyone from the most skilled trainers to the idiot with a bug catching net… The rangers have all been forced to drop the case because something seems to push them off."

"I see… is that why the seaside route is so overused?"

He nodded. "Yes… the forest route used to be much more popular, but that was decades ago…"

"Thank you, George," he called as he turned his back.

He made to wander outside. "Didn't you hear me?" George called, "Where are you going?"

"To find out what's going on. Don't worry too much about me." With that, Aaron stepped out into the darkness and the darkness reached out in welcome.

 **Author's Note**

 **I've mentioned it before, but I'm having a bit of trouble balancing the psychological changes someone like Aaron would go through. He's theorized about war, but never actually killed until now so there is no way for him to be entirely comfortable with it. On the other hand, I don't want this to be a super angsty fic. He told Arceus once that he was grateful for not having Gamer's Mind, but he now needs to come to terms with the downsides of having the full range of emotions normal to a human body. He does have his moments of weakness and as overpowered as he is (compared to normal civilians), he is also prone to moments of vulnerability.**

 **Tell me what you think of Salem. She is adoringly devoted to Giratina for reasons unknown (yet). She styles herself as the high priestess and refers to anyone that isn't Aaron (Master) as though she were older. She is vain but seemingly plays that up as a facade to hide her true thoughts. She's a bit more complex of a character than either Fable and Isis, but I think that makes her more fun to write.**

 **Now, it's no longer Xerosic. Lysandre and the League are both aware of his existence. How long can he stay a neutral party?**

 **Also, no, Xerosic doesn't know that the lab did indeed have a mega stone. There was no reason for him to know.**

 **Marquis is the rank of each of the gym leaders in Kalos in the Battle Chateau. I'm extending the noble peerage to cover more than just the ranking system at a country club.**

 **As always, constructive feedback is appreciated. If you leave a review, especially if it's negative, please tell me what you like/dislike about the story specifically.**

 **Pat reon dot com slash Sorre**


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